The last 10 days or so have seen Kenya placed firmly among top nations and its has been a class act from our athletes. After giving a modest review which we guess among other things lifted their performance, we applaud their efforts and take a bow for it. The 13th Edition of the World Athletics Championships are truly memorable.
The performance speaks for itself, 7 Gold ( & 2 team titles for Marathon), 5 Silver & 4 Bronze. {Our review had the total medal tally at 4 Gold 5 Silver and 8 Bronze; with 2 of the Gold correctly predicted for 800m & 3000m men's steeplechase}.
What's even more uplifting is the fact that women almost matched the men's performance with one Vivian Cheruiyot taking the 5000m & 10000m double. The marathoners both men and women made it a successful start and end to the championships. They took individual and team titles much to the delight of the South Korean fans who seemed to have a soft spot for us. The added incentives of bonuses from event sponsors, Toyota and TDK as well as the Government of Kenya's promise to handsomely reward our sports personalities seems to inspire them to greater heights.
While this has been the best outing in the World Athletics Championships since their inauguration in 1983, we have now set the bar for future athletes starting with the more immediate All Africa Games in Maputo where we shall have the juniors in athletics and other sporting disciplines represented. These should set the stage for what ought to be a memorable 2012 Olympic Games in London where as a former colony of the British we ought to give a good show of what or how far our sporting prowess has come. Shall we live up to the expectations? We shall be watching....
SportsKenya's Best Performer Overall (& Women's Performer):
Vivian Cheruiyot (Gold) - Women's 5000m & 10000m:- Winning two long distance gold medals in one championships is the stuff legends are made of. You're a true Africa running Queen. Maybe next time we have such an outing, Kenya should have a lady as the team captain...huh?
Best Men's Performer:
Abel Kirui (Gold) - Men's Marathon :- Another sterling performance and retaining back-to-back world titles in the race. All this and beating the 2nd placed Kenyan by a whole 3min.
Best Men's Young Performer:
Asbel Kiprop (Gold) - Men's 1500m:- After making amends from previous major championships including the last World Athletics c'ships in Berlin, it was about time, this future legend got his own and the country's gold.
Best Women Young Performer:
Milcah Chemos (Bronze) - Women's 3000m steeplechase - though the favourite for the gold, this young lady was beaten to 3rd place but her potent is there to see and it shall be interesting to see how she holds up by next year's Olympics.
Best Team Performance:
Women's Marathon : The ladies set the pace for all the other gold medallists by opening the Games on a high taking 1-2-3 and thus getting the team title for the marathon. They even had one of the best sporting fair play moves by waiting up on one of their own as she fell at a watering area. True heroes if you ask.
1 comment:
Congratulaion Kenyans, You had always made us proud.
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