Across the globe, Kenya is predominantly referred to as an athletics powerhouse following the consistent and spectacular performances displayed by the country’s athletes during athletic related events over the years. However, despite the undoubted and stunning performance displayed in the middle and long distance races, one will not hesitate to question our poor state in the sprints and field events. What exactly happened to the likes of Julius Sang, Robert Ouko or Samson Kitur?
Athletics Kenya chairman Isaiah Kiplagat takes michezoafrika.com through the rise and fall of Kenyan sprinters.
He recalls the golden moments in the 60s and 70s when Kenya ranked very well in the 4x400m relay. “In fact, the entire world was in shock when we won silver at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics and then a Gold medal in the 1972 Munich Olympics.”He said.
The teamwork displayed by Daniel Rudisha (father of the current 800m world record holder David Rudisha), Munyoro Nyamau, Naftali Bon and Charles Asati brought forth the 1st ever Olympic silver medal to Kenyan soil in 1968 while Robert Ouko and Julius Sang joined the pair of Asati and Nyamau in Munich in 1972 to defend the relay title.
In the same Munich Olympic event, Julius Sang also clinched the 400m bronze medal.
In the late 80s Samson Kitur became the new sprinter in the tracks and during 1992 Barcelona Olympics, he managed a podium finish to pick up the Bronze medal. He further bettered his performance during the 1993 world athletics championships in Stuttgart Germany, where he was part of the 4*400 relay team which scooped silver. He also took up the bronze the 400m in the same event.
However, Kitur’s win was the beginning of the downfall for Kenya in the sprint races and Kiplagat blames change in short distance races training that has greatly affected Kenya’s performance in the past 2 decades.
“In the early 90s, training for the sprinters became highly technical and athletics bodies in developed countries provided the needed facilities to upgrade their athletes’ performances. The athletes had access to gymnasiums, saunas and spa services just to mention a few. This then shifted sprinting ability from a natural event to technical, a shift Kenya could not offer to its athletes,” Explains Kiplagat.
Kenya being a developing country has not managed to get access to the Atop notch technical facilities required by the sprint athletes and therefore has failed to march the world in the short races over the last 2 decades.
However, ins come good news, Athletics Kenya Association has opted to take up the challenge to reverse the downward trend in sprints performances starting during the forthcoming 2012 Olympics.AK recently held the 1st of the sprints and field events build up event at the Nyayo stadium in Nairobi and has lined up a series of build up events for the sake of achieving world class performance.
“Unlike long distance races training which is conducted in a natural form of training in the terrains, short races training is more intense and our aim is to start conducting the intense training to our athletes so as we can enhance their performance.” Kiplagat further adds.
After a long dry spell in the sprints, a new breed of Kenyan sprinters is sprouting. The team which comprises of Anderson Mureta, Vincent Mumo, Julius Kirwa, Jonathan Kibet and Mark Mutai earned Kenya a gold medal in the 2010 commonwealth games New Delhi India and another in the 2011 all African games in Maputo, Mozambique in September. The team also represented the country in the 4*400m relay finals during the 2011 world athletics championships in Daegu, South Korea. Ahead of London in July, the team is expected to travel to Europe for further training.
“We may not promise much in the London Olympics as far as sprints and field events are concerned but the truth is that we are working on securing our future in these events. We need to redeem our glory days in sprinting races.”Assured Kiplagat.
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