Despite the dwindling Kenyan roars in the 5,000m race at the World Athletics Championships, coach Julius Kirwa insists that the future is bright.
Kenya’s wait for the gold medal continues after the duo of Jacob Krop and Nicholas Kimeli finished sixth and eighth respectively in the final held on Monday night. However, Krop clocked a personal best of 13:03.8.
Kirwa says the decision to select youthful athletes over the experienced ones was the way to go and will pay dividends in the near future.
“Honestly, I wasn’t disappointed with the two boys. They did their best and one recorded his personal best which I am proud of. Times have changed and we have opted to nurture youthful athletes who will redeem our image in the future,” said Kirwa.
Kirwa regretted the absence of Daniel Simiyu and Michael Kibet, who were locked out of the competition for failing to meet the required out-of-competition tests. Kibet and Simiyu claimed the two top slots during the national trials.
“The top two athletes during the trials did not tag along and I feel their absence affected our plans. The top six had hit the qualification time and if well-groomed, then our future is secure.”
After making his debut at the worlds, Krop revealed his headache of balancing academic work and focusing to qualify for next year’s Olympics.
The towering rookie is currently taking his ‘O’ Levels at Chewoyet Secondary School in West Pokot.
“It was a good experience for me and I now shift to concentrating on my studies. It’s a challenge in balancing the two but I am certain I will multi-task comfortably. I have to train harder as the qualification for the Olympics demands that I remain in good shape,” said Krop.
