BASKING IN AFRICAN GLORY: Kenya’s triumphant team to continental games jets back

African 800 metres Walking Race Champion Grace Wanjiru (left) speaks during her homecoming party on March 19, 2016 at Kathanjuri village, Embu County.

Team Kenya returned yesterday evening after a good show in the 20th Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Durban, South Africa.

The squad improved Kenya’s pecking order in the continent, finishing second behind hosts South Africa. They were third in the 2014 championships in Marrakech, Morocco. The Kenyan athletes amassed 24 medals.

And as it happens in championships where Kenyan athletes are involved, the continental showpiece never lacked the usual pomp as they recorded new times. Most of the athletes hit the Olympic qualifying marks, while others staged tongue-wagging upsets.

Kenya staged a befitting ending to the competitions, bagging four gold medals on the last day in men and women’s 20km walk, women’s 3,000metres steeplechase and men’s 5,000m.

Grace Wanjiru and Samuel Gathimba sealed their slots in the Kenyan team for the Rio 2016 Olympics after winning their respective 20km walk races in Olympic qualifying standard time.

This was Wanjiru’s fifth African title –after winning in 2004, 2008, 2010 and 2012 –walking to glory in an African, championship and national record of 1:30.43.

Gathimba set a new championships record of 1:19.24 with another Kenyan Simon Wachira finishing fifth. Wachira’s time of 1:23.26 is within the Olympics qualification standards.

Norah Jeruto, who won the IAAF World Youth 2,000m steeplechase title in Lille, France in 2011, dazzled the field in 3,000metres steeplechase, winning gold in 9:25.07, which was a championships record ahead of Agnes Chesang, who bagged silver, in 9:29.97.

Douglas Kipserem (13:13.35) took advantage of favourite Mangata Ndiwa’s fall to claim gold in men’s 5,000m ahead of South Africa’s Elroy Gelant (13:15.1). Ndiwa, who has competed at the world cross country championships, recovered in good time to grab bronze in 13:16.85.

Morocco’s Kaam Fouad (03:39.5) broke Kenyan hearts in men’s 1500m, finishing ahead of Timothy Cheroiyet (03:39.7) and Vincent Letting (03:40.8), who finished second and third respectively.

In men’s javelin, Alex Kiprotich settled for bronze after throwing 78.08m, with gold going to South Africa’s Philmar van Rensburg (76.04m). Ghana’s John Ampomah (75.22m) won silver.

The 4x400m relay teams earned the country rare medals, with the men taking silver after finishing second behind winners Botswana in 3:04.3 and the women won bronze in 3:30.2.

Maureen Jelagat gave Kenya another medal in the sprints after she finished second in the women’s 400m hurldles in 56.1 behind Wenda Nel of South Africa, who held on for gold in 54.9.