World junior 800m champion Margaret Wambui Nyairera and 400m sprinter Jacinta Shikanda are the latetest inclusions in the Team kenya to the World Championships in China later this month.
Nyairera, a form four student at Tetu High School, joined the team yesterday, alongside Shikanda, forcing her to withdraw from the East Africa Secondary Games set for Rwanda next week.
“The athletes have been included in the team following invitation by the IAAF based on the new qualification system introduced for Beijing 2015, where the IAAF has set a target number of athletes to compete in each event of the Championships,” said a statement from Athletics Kenya.
“I am very honoured to come here today and join my fellow athletes to Beijing,” said Nyairera.
“When the CEO (Isaac Mwangi) called me, I could not believe my ears as he told me I will not be going to Rwanda but China. I immediately dropped the plans I had for Rwanda and rushed here (residential training camp at Kasarani),” added Nyairera.
“It’s good that I have been doing my training at home in Nyeri even though it was not as intense as it is required here. I will work with the coaches here and see what will happen in Beijing.”
“It has not been easy to juggle between training and school work but I feel I can still do well in Beijing. After the World Championships, I will go back to school and do my exams, hopefully get some good grades and then concentrate fully on my career.”
“Running alongside the likes of Eunice Sum (World Champion) and Janeth Jepkosgei (a former World Champion) will definitely motivate me and even if I don’t conquer Beijing, it will be a good learning opportunity,” added Nyairera, who won the 2014 world junior championships in Eugene in her break out year.
Shikanda said: “I was surprised to learn of my inclusion in the team. I know it will be tough out there but I am in good shape since I was already preparing for the All Africa Games. I will have to aim higher, say 61 seconds, to keep up with the pace in Beijing.”
“This will also give me the much needed experience going forward and I will take the chance with both arms,” added Shikanda, a 4x400m Africa silver medallist from 2014.
Coach Julius Kirwa said the inclusion of the duo works well in improving the country’s medal chances as team work is always of essence during a championship event.
“They had already qualified for the World Championships and it is good to have them here. Nyairera is not badly off and I am certain we will polish her before we fly to Beijing. She needs to improve on speed and endurance and that won’t be a big deal.”
