• Kirwa said the performances in the senior men’s 10km race where Geoffrey Kamworor finished fourth, is a course for concern.
• Kenya won three team titles, a mixed relay title, two individual titles and a team title.
Image: WORKD ATHLETICS
Team Kenya’s head coach, Julius Kirwa, has predicted a masterstroke performance at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The team arrived in the country at midnight on Tuesday after wrapping up a top-of-the-table outing at the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia.
In Kirwa’s opinion, the tenacity of Team Kenya at the World Cross Country Championships bodes well for the country’s medal prospects at upcoming competitions.
“We are pleased with the team’s overall performance given that we were able to win back the title, which bodes well with our medal prospects in Hungary,” Kirwa said in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.
The seasoned tactician was emphatic that he is not quaking in the boots over the sub-par performance of his charges in the senior men’s race.
However, Kirwa said the performances in the senior men’s 10km race where Geoffrey Kamworor finished fourth, is a course for concern.
“The senior men team’s performance, which left them off the podium, is cause for concern but it doesn’t worry us in the least. We had the ideal learning experience in Australia and I think we now understand where we fell short of expectations,” Kirwa said.
Kirwa said they used the competition to assess their current abilities and hone their skills in preparation for the World Championships.
“What’s important is that we still have time to make the necessary adjustments before the next major global event. We have now seen what some of our competitors can do and we shall be strategising on how to counter the threat they pose,” said Kirwa.
Team Kenya captain Kibiwott Kindie praised his teammates for fighting bravely in Australia while echoing Kirwa’s remarks.
“I am proud of what our team accomplished at the cross-country championships. All we need now is a successful plan to increase our gold medal total at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary,” said Kandie.
“We have learned a lot from our outstanding performance in Australia and I believe that these lessons will help us perform even better in Budapest,” Kandie added.
He credited coach Kirwa’s unrivaled knowledge for their success in Australia.
“From the time the team was chosen in Embu until the time we flew out for the championships, we owe him a lot. He never stopped motivating us and pushing us forward,” he said.
Kandie praised Kenya’s government and Cabinet Secretary for Sports Ababu Namwamba for fostering an environment that allowed for the team’s outstanding performance.
Team Kenya topped the medal count in Australia after scooping 10 including six gold, two silver and two bronze.
Kenya won three team titles, a mixed relay title, two individual titles and a team title.
Beatrice Chebet, the Commonwealth 5,000m champion stormed to the senior women’s 10km race title, while Agnes Jebet finished third.
Pamela Kosgei bagged bronze in the women’s Under-20 6km race and Ishmael Kipkirui led Reynold Kipkorir to a top-two podium finish in the men’s Under-20 8km race.
The mixed relay race was won by the team of Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Mirriam Cherop, Kyumbe Munguti and Brenda Chebet.