Kasait attributes success in the women's senior race to teamwork

Former 3,000m World U-18 champion Lilian Kasait has attributed the country's success in the women's senior race at the just concluded  World Cross Country Championships in Serbia to teamwork

Led by two-time world cross-country champion Beatrice Chebet, Kenya secured the top five spots, showcasing exceptional synergy and determination.

“It was through teamwork that we were able to pull off such a feat. I appreciate my colleagues for the teamwork in Serbia,” she noted.

Chebet clocked 31.05 to win the race ahead of Kasait (31:08) and Margaret Chelimo (31:09) in a Kenyan podium sweep. Immaculate Anyango (31:24), and Agnes Ngetich(31:27) completed the top five places.

Reflecting on the triumph, assistant team captain Anyango emphasised their commitment to delivering outstanding results thus fulfilling Kenya's promise of excellence in Serbia.

“We had promised Kenyans of great performance in Serbia and I believe we delivered,” Anyango noted.

The captain Kyumbe Munguti lauded AK and the Ministry of Sports for their dedication and support towards the teams before and during the championships.

"We thank AK and the ministry. The team's performance is because of the dedication. The team had a great run in Serbia and we look forward to more," he noted.

AK President Jackson Tuwei lauded Kenya's enduring dominance in cross-country races, highlighting the nation's remarkable performance.

“As a country, we have done extremely well in the cross-country races. This performance underscores Kenya’s dominance in the race.”

He noted: “A world event of that magnitude is not easy. The team did their best and Kenya topped the medal list."

With an impressive haul of 11 medals (six gold, two silver and three bronze), Kenya claimed the top spot, showcasing their unmatched prowess.

Ethiopia followed with 10 medals (two gold, six silver and two bronze), while Uganda secured third place with five medals (gold, silver and three bronze).

Tuwei credited early preparations to the team's success, citing meticulous planning and rigorous training by the technical team.

“We started with early preparations from last year. We had a calendar of events and staged several weekend meetings before selecting the team in Ruiru during the national trials.”

AK Vice President Paul Mutwii applauded the team's exemplary discipline and determination, underscoring their key role in achieving victory.

“The team was very disciplined and I believe that was the key to pulling off such incredible performance in Serbia," he said.

Former World 5,000m champion Benjamin Limo praised the team's improved performance, attributing it to robust support from the government, the federation and the athletes' dedication.

 “The performance of the team supersedes that of last year. This was necessitated by the support from the government, the federation and our athletes also,” Limo noted.