Will the Berlin team shine?

By Mutwiri Mutuota

Kenyans are still riding high on glory registered at 2007 World Championships in Osaka in addition to the best returns from the Olympics in Beijing last year.

Against this backdrop, the stress to live up to those heights weighs like a yoke around the necks of the runners and coaches ahead of August 15 to 23 World Championships in Berlin, Germany.

Repeated success is highly addictive and a whole nation expects to celebrate another bountiful medal harvest on August 24 when the team selected this afternoon returns from the German administrative capital.

"The pressure is to win the same number of gold as in Osaka and last year. It means we have to work harder starting tomorrow after the team is selected to ensure we will deliver on expectations," national coach, Julius Kirwa, told FeverPitch on Saturday.

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With the array of talent prevalent at the moment especially in mid and long distance races where Kenya has stamped its dominance at the last two major track championships, Kirwa believes another medal laden basket will be achieved in Berlin.

Gold medals

"Although I have not had time with the team to be selected, I believe we have potential of winning up to six gold medals in Berlin, but a more accurate picture will emerge after we are through with training and assessed those selected," the national coach said.

Despite sizzling form enjoyed by double Olympics 5,000m and 10,000m champion, Kenenisa Bekele, who has carried his intimidating winning streak into this season, Kirwa considers his charges well equipped to carry top honours at those finals.

"One of my main targets in Berlin is to get the men’s 5,000m and 10,000m gold medals which I believe we can easily win. Bekele and Ethiopians are tough but we can do it," he opined.

The technical bench have enough on their hands between tomorrow and August 10th when the team departs in order to knock Bekele off his 10,000m perch.

Sample this, the 27 year-old Bekoji born world 5,000m and 10,000m record holder remains unbeaten in his last 14 starts in the shorter distance and 11 finals in the 25 lap-race!

Charles Kamathi (2001, 10,000m) and Benjamin Limo (2005, 5,000m) were the last Kenyans to win World Championships gold medals in those events with Bekele (2003, 2005, 2007 all 10,000m) and American Bernard Lagat (2007, 5,000m) carrying the day in the intervening and subsequent editions.

"I can see something good coming from those races this year," Kirwa prophesied when the frightening statistics were spelled out to him.

In 10,000m, world 10K record holder and Olympics bronze medallist, Micah Kogo, Olympics fourth finisher, Moses Masai and 2007 World Cross senior silver medallist, Bernard Kipyego were tasked with wresting the event’s world title from Bekele.

Eliud Kipchoge, the world champion from 2003 and Olympics silver medallist, Edwin Soi (Olympics bronze medallist), Leonard Komon (World Cross silver winner) and Mark Kiptoo (fourth fastest runner of the year) are some of key athletes lined up to contest places in the 5,000m squad.

Silver medallist

With the likes of Asbel Kiprop (Olympics champion in waiting), Augustine Choge (fastest runner in three years and Olympics finalist), Haron Keitany (Africa champion), William Biwott (world junior mile record holder) and Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (2007 World Indoor silver medallist) in the 1,500m Trials roster, Kenya stands a good chance of running away with all three medals in men’s 1,500m.

With a wealth of potent 1,500m runners through her history, it is shocking Kenya is yet to have one of its male athletes crowned a world champion in the classic mile event.

"Berlin should be the place where this should be set right and all signs indicate it shall be done," Kirwa stressed paying homage to the fact that Choge, Keitany and Kiprop hold the top three world-leading times of the season in 1,500m.

Another potential gold mine for Kenya in Berlin is the men’s 800m race where the timely recovery from injury of Olympics champion, Wilfred Bungei and Africa champion, David Rudisha, have boosted chances.

With reigning world champion and Olympics bronze medallist, Alfred Kirwa already assured of a title defence in Berlin, other potent runners vying for slots in the distance are 2006 world junior silver medallist, Jackson Kivuva, Olympics semi finalist, Boaz Lalang, eighth fastest runner of 2009, Reuben Bett and if he is selected to double, Africa bronze medallist, Kiprop.

Only Sudan’s World Indoor champion, Abubaker Kaki Khamis has run faster than Kiprop in 800m this season.

Once upon a time, Kenya was a force to reckon with in the men’s 4X400m relay. At the 1993 Worlds in Stuttgart, Germany, the quartet of Kennedy Ochieng, Simon Kemboi, Abednego Matilu and Samson Kitur delivered the silver medal. The late Kitur also won individual bronze at the 400m final at the same event.

Sprint coach

A return to those heady days saw Athletics Kenya (AK) strive to cobble up a 4X400m relay quartet to attempt to qualify for Berlin at last weekend’s Abuja CAA Meeting in Nigeria.
According to national sprint coach, Stephen Mwaniki, their plans for US based sophomore (second year) student Anderson Mureta, Mark Mutai, Julius Kirwa and Thomas Musembi to run under 45.80 in their legs were scuppered when the team’s anchor was allegedly forced to run on one shoe.

Relay team

"Mureta ran 45.7, Mutai 45.1 and Kirwa 45.4 and we were on course to qualify until Musembi was spiked at the last change over by a Nigerian making him run 395m on one shoe and he could not make it," Mwaniki told FeverPitch on Saturday. The team recorded 3:03.90 that is six hundredth of a second less than the Berlin A-Standard of 3:03.30.

Undeterred, AK intends to select a 4X400m relay quartet for a meeting in Dusseldorf, Germany next week in a last ditch effort to enter a squad for Berlin.

High hopes for a successful retention of the men’s marathon title also abound with four-time Boston Marathon champion, Omar Ahmed (Robert ‘Mwafrika’ Cheruiyot), Emmanuel Mutai (fourth London), Daniel Rono (second Boston 2009), Benjamin Kiptoo (Rome champion) and Abel Kirui (Vienna winner) selected for Berlin. The man who won top honours in Osaka, Luke Kibet and thrice London champion, Martin Lel are on stand-by should either of the chosen ones pull out.

Kirwa and indeed most observers in the sport are concerned about the form of the country’s female runners.

Never has a victory on the European grand prix circuit by a Kenyan been better received than Pamela Jelimo’s 1:59.59 triumph at KBC Night of Athletics in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, last weekend.

It came at the back of scandalous sixth (Rabat) and last (Oregon) finishes earlier in the season where the Olympic champion failed to break the 2:00.0 barrier for her first time in her nascent but stellar 800m career that has yielded 13 victories in 15 starts.

While Jelimo is springing back to life, concerns linger over reigning 800m world champion, Janeth Jepkosgei, Olympics 1,500m champion, Nancy Jebet Lagat and all other 10,000m runners apart from Linet Masai who has the solo ticket for Berlin at the distance so far.

"The side of the ladies has a problem but I can see some coming up to save the situation. Jelimo is recovering while the likes of Vivian Cheruiyot, Florence Kiplagat and the marathon team could do us proud."

Cheruiyot is the world 5,000m silver medallist while Kiplagat won senior women’s gold at Amman’s World Cross in March.

Olympics fifth finisher, Martha Komu, Hellena Kiprop, Irene Lemika and Risper Kimaiyo will do duty in the marathon a race where Catherine Ndereba carried the day in Osaka.