Dj Vnyash
In Paris
Kenya’s trio of Nicholas Kimeli, Daniel Mateiko, and Japan-based Bernard Kibet is poised to kick off the country’s medal campaign at the Paris Olympics when they compete in the 10,000m final on Friday at 10:20 PM at Stade de France.
The athletes aim to replicate the achievements of the late Naftali Temu, who secured Kenya’s first-ever gold medal in this event at the 1968 Mexico Games. Since then, other Kenyan runners like Paul Target, Richard Chelimo, and Paul Tanui have only managed silver medals in the 24-lap race.
To claim the title, the Kenyans will need a solid strategy to overcome Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega, who won the Tokyo Olympics with a time of 27:43.2, ahead of current record holder Joshua Cheptegei from Uganda and his fellow countryman Jakob Kiplimo.
“Every competition has a winner. We have prepared them well. Each athlete has performed impressively this season and at the national trials during the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon,” said middle-distance coach Alex Sang. “We are hopeful, even though Uganda and Ethiopia are our perennial rivals. They will provide tough competition, but we trust our trio to perform.”
Kenya’s performance at the Tokyo Olympics was disappointing, with Rhonex Kipruto, who was recently banned for doping violations, finishing eighth.
“We had a structured program, starting with endurance training followed by speed work. However, we couldn’t fit in gym and hill workouts. We had already entered championship mode, focusing on our priorities. The intensity of the speed training should prepare our athletes to finally capture that elusive title.”
With temperatures in Paris soaring to 35°C (95°F) or higher, coach Sang is concerned that the heat might affect the athletes, but he believes they are ready, having trained in various weather conditions leading up to the Games.
“After the trials at the end of June, we continued training despite the different weather from Nairobi. Paris is quite hot. Our trio has demonstrated remarkable discipline, especially since starting their residential training camp.”
Mateiko, the winner of the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon earlier this year, set a new personal best of 26:50.81 to win Kenya’s trial race in Eugene in May. Kimeli, who placed fourth in the 5000m at the Tokyo Olympics, finished a close second to Mateiko in the Eugene Diamond League.
They will also face fierce competition from Ethiopia’s Yomif Kajelcha, who holds the season’s leading time of 26:31.01, and his compatriot Berihu Aregawi, who is just a tenth of a second behind and finished fourth in Tokyo.
