By Mutwiri MutuotaThe 12th World Championships in Athletics held from August 15 to 23 had their highs and lows for Kenyan team that won four gold, five silver and two bronze medals.
Here is the continuation of the moments that shaped Kenya’s Berlin 2009 adventure.
August 17: The joy on debutant Milcah Chemos Cheywa’s face when she won women’s steeplechase bronze in a 9:08.57 personal best could thaw even the hardest iceberg.
Once again, the men’s 10,000m trio, this time featuring Moses Masai, Olympic bronze winner, Micah Kogo and Bernard Kipyego, were taught another painful lesson by Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele with Eritrean Zersenay Tadese assuming the bridesmaid role from the injured Sileshi ‘Silver’ Sihine. Masai ran 26:57.39 for bronze.
August 18: After winning silver at the 2003, 2005 and 2007 editions, Ezekiel Kemboi finally delivered the missing medal in his collection when he outsprinted team mate Richard Mateelong for steeplechase glory in a championship record of 8:00.43.
His colourful celebrations on the track and the Nike haircut he proudly displayed to the media stamped Kemboi’s status as the showman of Kenyan athletics.
Kenyan camp
August 19: The Kenyan camp was thrown into rage after 1,500m gold medal hopeful and recently minted Olympic champion, Asbel Kiprop made a hash of his final to finish fourth.
Despite the advice of legendary Kipchoge Keino a day earlier, Kiprop refused to partner with teammate Augustine Choge (fifth) and chose to run from behind. A crowded finish saw Bahrain’s Yusuf Saad Kamel (Gregory Konchellah) win gold as the leggy Kiprop got boxed in. It was simply the most disappointing moment for team Kenya and to his credit, Kiprop later acknowledged his mistakes and apologised for costing his country gold.
disapointment
August 19: The disappointment of Janeth Jepkosgei failing to defend her title after South Africa’s Caster Semenya broke with 110m to go before powering to victory was overshadowed when the gender scandal exploded.
All was not well when Semenya, who was whisked away from completing her lap of honour, failed to appear at the winner’s press conference. As Jepkosgei and bronze winner, Jennifer Meadows watched, IAAF Secretary General, Pierre Weiss was torn to pieces by international media over Semenya’s gender.
August 22: He had said it. Anyone who beat him needed not to go for a drug test but to have his head determined. The Kenyan camp was convinced Abel Kirui, a dark horse to everyone else including the very best crop of seasoned distance running experts, was on the verge of something special during the men’s marathon.
In 2:06:54, a championship record, Kirui soared to gold ahead of teammate Emmanuel Mutai, who, despite getting sick on the course, was a good value for silver.
However, fifth finisher, Omar Ahmed (Robert ‘Mwafrika’ Cheruiyot) earned all the plaudits for shunning his manager’s advice of slowing down to pace his colleagues until they had extinguished the last threat, Ethiopia’s Deriba Merga. It was Kenya’s best team performance of the championship.
August 22: Kenya erupted when Vivian Cheruiyot delivered the women’s 5,000m gold, with compatriot Sylvia Kibet dipping for silver. Behind them, defending champion, Ethiopia’s Meseret Defar, and her teammates found themselves assuming the role they had accustomed their bitter rivals to. Needless to say, the party went on further into the night as Cheruiyot and Kibet displayed radiance on the day.
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