Former athletes say Moscow performance was ‘average’

BY JOSEPH NGURE

The just concluded IAAF World Championships has elicited lukewarm reactions as the team jetted back in the country on Monday.

Former athletes in the athletics bastion of North Rift are ranking the performance as ‘just average’ while others said they were below expectations.

“That three athletes managed to retain their titles from Daegu was great. But we expected more titles, especially in events that medals have been elusive,” said a retired female marathoner, who declined to be named.

The former marathoner saluted Ednah Kiplagat, saying being the first event, Kenyans launched the medal hunt positively but added there was the chance for at least one more silverware.

“In Daegu (2011), our female marathoners swept all the medals with a fourth runner, Irene Jerotich, finishing fifth. I was expecting more than the gold medal,” added the retired distant runner.

 Kiplagat, a mother of two, led Priscah Jeptoo and Sharon Cherop in a 1-2-3 finish.

Joshua Chelanga, a former cross-country and retired marathoner expressed skepticism on the performance of the team after the marathon trio failed to travel together.

“It was clear that there was no teamwork. Valentine Kipketer looked disoriented and was the first to break from the leading pack. She was not in the right frame of mind after what she went through when she was left behind,” said Chelang’a, a former Rotterdam Marathon winner.

Kipketer, who hails from Koibatek but trains at Kapkitony and Kapng’etuny in the neighbouring Elgeyo Marakwet, joined the team in Moscow three days after they arrived for the championship after she was left sleeping in a Nairobi hotel on the day of departure.

“Somebody should be held responsible. Where were the cheparon, the team manager and the coaches?” How could they have left the hotel and the airport without taking roll call,” posed the retired marathoner.

Chelanga said there was need to inject professionalism in the management of national teams in future if better results are expected.

Another retired runner, Kimutai Koskei, claimed there were officials with personal interests in the team.

“What we saw in Moscow was individual effort by individual athletes. There was clearly no team tactics or team spirit. What was the role of the so-called technical delegates,” asked the former General Service Unit officer.

Three-times World steeplechase champion Moses Kiptanui is not happy that Kenyans did not manage a clean medal sweep even after lining up four world-class steeplechasers in the final.