Africa 1,500m silver medalist Purity Chepkirui looks to maintain her winning streak as she transitions into the senior category next year.
Against all odds, Chepkirui bagged gold in her debut during last year's World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi.
She kept her dream alive when she obliterated a strong field of senior athletes to place second at the African Senior Championships in Mauritius in June.
“It’s now time for me to transition to the seniors and I hope I will maintain my performance,” she said.
At the just-concluded World Under-20 Championships in Cali, Chepkirui settled for bronze in her 1,500m specialty in a new personal best time of 4:07.64.
“I am happy to have achieved my PB but I still want to improve it. That is my focus now,” Chepkirui added.
Meanwhile, race walker Margret Gati has attributed her dismal performance in the just concluded World Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, to lack of experience.
Gati placed 14th (49:05.09) in a race that saw Mexico’s Karla Ximena bag gold in a personal best time of 46:24.35.
Gati said she could not keep pace with her opponents in Cali because she was afraid of burnout.
“Halfway through the race, my opponents stepped up their game and I couldn't just keep up with their pace. I was also afraid of getting worn out faster so I decided to maintain my pace,” Gati said.
She added: “I have tried…I have really tried and I am happy about my performance.”
Gati also said her training in preparation for the championships was not sufficient. “I trained for a short time before traveling to Cali,” she said.
Gati revealed she looks up to the six-time African champion Grace Njue.
