Month: December 2013
Kiplagat Academy to be ready by Feb 2014
Construction of the Lornah Kiplagat Sports Academy, in Elgeyo Marakwet County, is at the final stages with the facility expected to be ready for use from February 2014. Site chief engineer Rob De Heer, also CEO of Sports Pitch Engineering from the Netherlands, who are the contractors, told Sports Fanatique they had done everything within the stipulated time.
“We did not want to disappoint athletes who want to train from the facility. We have to keep our word and by next week, the whole field will be green after planting grass, which we used to plant at Santiago Barnabeu stadium where Real Madrid plays,” he said. The project , which is the first tartan track outside Nairobi after Nyayo National Stadium and Safaricom Stadium, Kasarani will cost Sh1billion by the time it is completed.
According to Heer, the tartan used is the softest material in the world and guarantees protection against ligaments’ injuries. The ultra-modern sports centre is built on a 50-acre plot, in Iten and will comprise hockey and soccer fields, basketball and volleyball courts as well as a 400-metre tartan track.
The football pitch will be complete by next week. The academy will collaborate with Moi University and some of the best universities in the world to secure sports scholarships to deserving athletes. The first batch of students will enroll next year when the 400-metre tartan track, class rooms, hostels and a restaurant for the students are complete
Boston Marathon champ Cherop confident of conquering German capital
BY EMMANUEL SABUNI
Former world marathon bronze medalist Sharon Cherop is optimistic of winning Sunday’s Berlin Marathon in the German capital. The course on which Kenyan runner Patrick Makau broke the World record is part of the World Marathon Majors series events known for its flat surface and mild temperatures.
Speaking to Sports Fanatique in Eldoret on her way to Berlin, Cherop said she was going to raise the flag high compared to other events she has run. “I did not go for world championships (in Moscow) as I was fully preparing for this race. I’m confident that I’m going to win,” said Cherop.
During the 2011 world championships in Daegu, South Korea, Cherop extended her helping hand to team-mate Ednah Kiplagat when she fell and went ahead to win the race with Cherop finishing third after Priscah Jeptoo. It was her first medal in a senior marathon race that would set her up for major victories in subsequent events.
She went on to win the 2012 Boston Marathon and added Hamburg and Toronto Waterfront Marathons the same year before completing with victory in the Dubai Marathon where she clocked 2:22.39. The Policewoman says her preparations have been good as she has dedicated a lot of her time on the race.
“I have been carrying out my training programmes according to the weather of the course and I’m promising my competitors a tough battle, they will not have it easy ,” added Cherop. The 29-year-old Iten based runner set her personal best of 36:02 during the inaugural Shoe4Africa 10km run in Iten where she was second.
The Berlin Marathon has been dominated by Kenyans especially men. Last year, it was won by Geoffrey Mutai while Patrick Makau defended his title in the 2011edition braking the world record (2:03:38) in the process. Florence Kiplagat also won in the women category. Since its inception in 1974, Kenya has won 12 titles in men’s category while women have won twice.
It was first won by former Emgwen MP Elijah Lagat in 1997 and the trend continued up to 2005 with Josephat Kiprono, Simon Biwott, Joseph Ngolepus, Raymond Kipkoech, Paul Tergat, Felix Limo and Philip Mayim triumphing before Makau and Mutai restored order. Peace ambassador Tegla Lorupe won in a world record of 2:20.43 in 1999 before Kiplagat won in 2011.
The making of a world double champion
BY EMMANUEL SABUNI
“WE train every day. We cover between 160- 200km a week and 800km a month, so when she went to Moscow, she had covered approximately 3000km, that is why it was easy for her.” Those were the shocking statistics revealed by Gilbert Koech, husband and coach to double World Marathon champion Edna Kiplagat on his wife’s secrets to success after she successfully defended her title in the World Athletics Championships in Mos- cow, Russia.
To put this into perspective, Kiplagat had run a distance equivalent of driving from Nairobi to Kericho (200km) in a week, and Nairobi to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in a month (800km) and by the time she went to Moscow, she had covered a distance equivalent to travelling from Kenya to South Africa (3000km)! It is the sheer determination of a woman who defied all odds to clinch Kenya’s first gold at the biannual event and made history by becoming the first woman to win back to back marathon titles.
Born 33 years ago in Uasin Gishu County, Kiplagat started her running career in 1996 while in primary school when she participated in the World Junior Athletics Championships in Sydney, Australia clinching a silver medal in the 3000m race before winning bronze two years later over the same distance. As the new millennium approached, she switched to road running taking part in the 2003 Monument 10km race where she won before finishing a disappointing 13th in the 2006 World Cross Country Championships. She never gave up.
In the same year, she recored personal bests in the 5000m race (15:57.3) in Nairobi before clocking 1:09:32 in the San Jose Half Marathon and winning the Virginia Beach Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon. The following year, she took part in the 10,000m race in Nairobi and also won the Lilac Bloomsday Bay to Breakers Half MaraThon races.
By this time, Kiplagat had established herself as an emerging long distance runner ready to take on the world. In 2010, she won the Los Angles Marathon and added the New York Marathon to her belt the same year after beating Shane Flanagan and compatriot Mary Keitany to second and third positions respectively. From then on, the world has been at her feet.
She finished third in the 2011 London Marathon but made amends in the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea when she won her first world title before a second place in the 2012 London Marathon, but a 20th finish in the Olympic games the same year in the English capital, was a wake up call ahead of the Moscow event. “In Daegu, I was focusing on the podium. I wanted to succeed after falling down and Sharon Cherop pulled me up. But in Mos- cow, I was very careful not to run from the sides,” said Kiplagat of the tactics that ensured she defended her title in the Russian capital.
In Moscow, she led compatriots Lucy Kabuu, Margaret Akai and Valentine Jepkorir in hunt for medals. Tactics worked for a few kilometres where they run as a team but with competition intense, the rest could not keep up with the pace and faded away leaving Kiplagat to square it out with the rest. “We were running together with the Italian but after 40km I sped away.
I was only waiting for the right moment to strike and thankfully I won the race,” added Kiplagat. But as she marvels in her success, it has not been an easy journey to the top for the mother of two. “I felt sidelined after being dropped from the world cross team for lack of experience, but this gave me an opportunity to train more. However, in 1999-2001 I decided to concentrate on education and even got a scholarship to study in USA but I declined after realising I’m good in sports. From then on, it has never been the same,” she said.
She, however, attributes much of her success to her husband cum coach Gilbert Koech a former 10km and 10,000m runner who has been with her through thick and thin. “We met in 1996 when both of us were in school. We used to share a lot in athletics and we were in the same camp coached by Irishman Bro Colm o’Colm (David Rudisha’s coach),” she said.
Their friendship blossomed into love and in 2001, they tied the knot, a time when her career was just picking up. Koech, a former Las Vegas Marathon and Pittsburg 10km race winner retired from athletics to concentrate on his wife’s career. He does much of the research work, trains together with her and accompanies her to all her events. “The most encouraging thing in Moscow and Daegu and all other events is motiva- tion from my husband whom I respect very much, if it were not for him I would’n be here,” admits Kiplagat.
With her second world marathon gold medal safely tucked under her belt, the duo is now plotting on how to add the Olympics and Commonwealth titles to her collection. But for now, the most famous couple in Milindiwo village, Elgeyo Marakwet County is still swimming in their latest success. – By EMMANUEL SABUNI
Kemboi, Sum named Kenya’s best as Kiplagat, Kipsang also get nod in colourful Athletics Kenya gala night
BY EMMANUEL SABUNI
Ezekiel Kemboi and Eunice Sum were named Kenya’s top athletes of 2013 after fighting off strong opposition in a colourful gala night in Eldoret on Thursday. Kemboi emerged tops ahead of Asbel Kiprop and Wilson Kipsang following his exploits in the World championships in Moscow in August when he successfully defended his 3,000m steeplechase title, becoming the only man to win three world titles in a row over the distance.
For Sum it was a perfect way to sum up the year after her surprise victory in the 800m at the worlds and also a stellar performance in the Diamond League races. The 29-year-old Kemboi was visibly elated with the win saying it has been a long journey representing Kenya for the last 13 years.
“It is a great moment for me to be recognised as it has not been easy representing Kenya for quite a while now. God has seen me through and he has been my shield and faithful frontier,” said Kemboi. World Marathon record holder Wilson Kipsang bagged the World Record Award, thanks to his 2.03:23 mark set in Berlin in September.
Double World marathon champion Edna Kiplagat won the Marathon Award, while Africa javelin champion Julius Yego clinched the Field Events Award as youngster Alex Kiprotich walked home with the Most Promising Athlete gong. Milcah Chemos, who became the first Kenyan woman to win a world steeplechase gold in Moscow, was awarded the Steeplechase Award alongside Kemboi. Conseslus Kipruto won the Most Improved Athlete Award alongside Lydia Chepkirui.
The Middle Distance Award went to double 1,500m Asbel Kiprop as Sum grabbed a double by winning the women’s prize in that category. Paul Tanui and Gladys Cherono won the 10,000 Metres Award, while Isaiah Kiplagat and Mercy Cherono were crowned winners of the 5,000m award. The ceremony presided over by Athletics Kenya president Isaiah Kiplagat was graced by many current and former athletes.
Kiprop okay after Sunday accident: Coach
BY EMMANUEL SABUNI
ATHLETICS: Double world 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop, who was involved in a road accident on Sunday evening, is in stable condition. The world champions escaped death when his car veered off the Kabarnet-Eldoret highway on his way to Eldoret in the company of James Kangogo, the Rehlingen 3,000m race winner in Germany.
He sustain minor injuries but was treated and discharged at Kabarnet District Hospital. David Letting, Kiprop’s coach, confirmed the metric mile superstar was in good health although his BMW X6 model was wrecked. “We are grateful it did not injure them.
I wish them a quick recovery from the psychological trauma,” said Letting. “We had gone to Kabarnet for a picnic over the weekend and we were returning home when the incident happened. The road has many corners and since Kiprop (Asbel) was not familiar with the road, he hit a stone and the car losing control and was destroyed but luckily we had tightened our safety belts,” said Kangogo.
Kiprop: I won’t run at Commonwealth Games
BY EMMANUEL SABUNI
Two-time world 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop has revealed he will skip the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland to allow upcoming talents prove their worth on the international arena. He said he has dominated the event, both locally and at the international arena for and it was high time he watched the Games from the terraces.
“I feel I should take a break this time round and allow the upcoming talents make use of the opportunity,” Asbel said in Eldoret. The lanky runner, who has world and Olympics titles to his name says he believes in nurturing time had come for him to help budding runners establish themselves in athletics.
“Commonwealth 1,500m champion Silas Kiplagat, 2011 Diamond League series winner Nixon Chepseba and myself have always represented this country and I think it is not a bad idea if I can, for once, step aside and give the upcoming runners a chance,” he says. This, he said should not be misconstrued to mean he is looking down upon the Games.
“On the contrary the games hold a very special place in my heart and I would love to represent this country. However, I am being mindful of others as the games could equally open more doors for them” he clarifies. He says the country is endowed with amazing talents and it is through such forums that some of them get exposed.
“Established athletes should be at the forefront in helping our colleagues develop their sporting talents so that we can have good transition when we retire,” Asbel adds. Asbel is yet to win Commonwealth gold. He won the 1,500m at 2007 All Africa Games in Algeria, 2010 Africa Championships title and went on to win the 2011 and 2013 world titles in Daegu and Moscow respectively. The games will run from July 23 to August 3 in Glasgow, Scotland
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