Lagat and Jelagat through to finals

By Mutwiri Mutuota in New Delhi

When Jackline Maranga raced to the 1998 Commonwealth title in women’s 1,500m to become the first and only female Kenya winner of the crown, Olympic champion Nancy Jebet Lagat was only just 17.

"I was with Jackline in Kuala Lumpur and saw her winning the title. Then, I was very young and in school, but I remember how great we felt," Lagat said yesterday after leading the class of Delhi 2010 in sealing qualification for today’s final.

Lagat came to Malaysia as a freshly minted World Junior 800m silver medallist, making her senior competition debut where she ran 2:07.68 for fourth in the two-lap race heats to exit the competition, but few know about her record there since her name was misspelled as Chebet Lagat!

A dozen years later, Lagat will line up at the J N Stadium track seeking to add the Commonwealth title to her treasure chest.

"The race and conditions we competed in are good and we have a quality field. Usually, the obstacle is to qualify, but now that I have qualified, I am looking forward tomorrow and I hope the weather will be favourable," Lagat said after winning heat two in 4:13.62 with 2006 World Junior champion, Irene Jelagat trailing the Olympic champion in 4:13.63 for second.

"I’m praying to God to reward me with a medal of any colour tomorrow. I’m yet to win a medal since I started competing as a senior and this is yet another chance," Jelagat, who finished outside the medals at Nairobi African Championships, said.

She failed to make the finals of last year’s Berlin Worlds last year and Beijing Olympics a year earlier.

Viola Kibiwott, another 2002 World junior champion, recorded the fastest result of the day, running 4:08.76 for victory in the first heat.

"Our aim is a podium sweep and I will try to get a medal," the fifth placer in Beijing said.

The women’s 10,000m final is the other distance race where Kenya could add her medal tally with Grace Momanyi and Doris Changeiywo donning the Kenyan colours. World champion, Linet Masai, who was also in the team, withdrew from Delhi 2010 due to fatigue. They will seek to retain the crown won by Lucy Kabuu in Melbourne at the event where Kenya has won in the last three editions.

"We have a strong tradition in this race. Our girls are in good shape and that is why we decided not to replace Linet," coache Nicholas Kilisio said.

The men’s 800m trio of Olympics finalist, Boaz Lalang, Richard Kiplagat and Abraham Kiplagat will also be in action in the men 800m heats.