Bad luck or just unlucky? Kibiwott Kandie forced out of World Championships
Kibiwott Kandie celebrates after winning the 10,000m finals on May 24, 2023 during the Kenya Defence Force (KDF) Athletics Championship at Ulinzi Sports Complex.
What you need to know:
- Kandie made the team for the 44th World Athletics Cross Country Championships, Bathurst, Australia where he finished fifth before leaving nothing to chance this time round to seal the world championships qualifying standards, finishing second at the Adizero Road to Records 10km race in 26:53 in Germany in April.
- Kandie has been on a roller-coaster this year, defending his Kenya Defence Forces’ 10,000m and 5,000m titles before going for the national 10,000m crown.
“God’s time is the best.”
That was the answer from Commonwealth Games 10,000 metres bronze medallist Kibiwott Kandie, who will miss the World Championships for the second successive time.
Kandie, the World Half Marathon silver medallist, won the national trials for the World Athletics Championships held last year in Oregon, United States of America but missed the global for not having attained the qualifying standards.
However, regarded as the next Paul Tergat, Kandie would get the nod for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games held last year in Great Britain where he claimed bronze.
Kandie made the team for the 44th World Athletics Cross Country Championships, Bathurst, Australia where he finished fifth before leaving nothing to chance this time round to seal the world championships qualifying standards, finishing second at the Adizero Road to Records 10km race in 26:53 in Germany in April.
Kandie has been on a roller-coaster this year, defending his Kenya Defence Forces’ 10,000m and 5,000m titles before going for the national 10,000m crown.
He was selected in the men’s 10,000m team despite finishing fourth during the national trials for World Athletics Championships scheduled for August 19 to 27 in Budapest, Hungary.
However, after joining Team Kenya for the residential training, Kandie said that he suffered a right leg hamstring injury that forced him to withdraw from the team last week.
“I was in camp for a week when the team reported and training was going on well. I tried to persevere for some days while training but there was no change hence the break to avoid worsening it," said Kandie.
Kandie apologised to his fans for not making it to Budapest but promised to return healthier and stronger for the World Half Marathon Championships scheduled for October 1 in Riga, Latvia.
“I know they were expecting me in Budapest after I missed the Oregon event but the inevitable happened. There are things you can’t control and all you can do is leave it to God,” said the former world half marathon record holder.
Kandie has since been replaced by the Commonwealth Games 10,000 silver medallist Danie Simiu, who had initially been named in the 5,000m team. Simiu finished second in both 5,000m and 10,000m during the trials for the world championships.
Simiu joins Nicholas Kimeli and Bernard Kibet in the 25-lap race.
Ishamel Kipkirui Rokitto now takes up Simiu’s place in the 5,000 team that has Kimeli, who will double up, world 5,000m silver medallist Jacob Krop and Cornelis Kemboi.
Kandie missed the 2020 Tokyo Olympic trials due to an injury.
Kandie, who claimed the world half marathon silver medal in 2020 Gdynia and Karoki, who won it in 2016 Cardiff, suffered a right knee injury.
It would have been Kandie’s maiden appearance at the Olympics if he succeeded.
“This is really stressful for me big time after missing the Olympics and now the world event twice but I have to accept it,” explained Kandie.
Kenya will be represented by 56 athletes; 32 men and 24 women in Budapest.
Team Kenya
Men:
100m: Ferdinand Omanyala
400m: Boniface Mweresa
400m hurdles: Wiseman Were
800m: Emmanuel Korir, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Alex Ng’eno, Ferguson Rotich
1,500m: Timothy Cheruiyot, Abel Kipsang, Reynold Kipkorir
5,000m: Nicholas Kimeli, Jacob Krop, Cornelius Kemboi, Ishamel Kipkirui Rokitto
10,000m: Nicholas Kimeli, Bernard Kibet, Daniel Simiu
3,000m steeplechase: Simon Koech, Abraham Kibiwott, Leonard Bett
20km race walk: Samuel Gathimba
4x100m relay: Ferdinand Omanyala, Boniface Mweresa, Dan Kiviasi, Steve Onyango, Hesbon Ochieng, Samuel Chege
4x400m relay: Wycliffe Kinyamal, Wiseman Were, Kennedy Musyoki, Zablon Ekwam, Kelvin Sawe Tauta, Alex Ng'eno
Marathon: Titus Kipruto, Timothy Kiplagat, Joshua Belet
Javelin: Julius Yego
Women:
800m: Mary Moraa, Peninah Mutisya, Vivian Kiprotich, Naomi Korir
1,500m: Faith Kipyegon, Nelly Chepchirchir, Edinah Jebitok
5,000m: Faith Kipyegon, Beatrice Chebet, Lilian Kasait, Margaret Chelimo
10,000m: Irene Kamais, Agnes Jebet, Grace Loibach
20km race walk: Emily Ngii
4x400m mixed relay: Wiseman Were, Wycliffe Kinyamal, Kennedy Musyoki, Mercy Okech, Maureen Thomas, Millicent Ndoro
Marathon: Rosemary Wanjiru, Selly Chepyego Kaptich, Shyline Jepkorir
