Triumphant Kenya cross country team jet back with big dreams for Paris

The country can replicate the good performance from the just concluded World Athletics Cross Country Championships at the forthcoming Paris Olympic Games if it embraces good planning and teamwork.

Back-to-back world champion Beatrice Chebet and team captains Kyumbe Munguti and Emmaculate Anyango said that their young team has now set the ball rolling and is ready to expand their territory.

They were speaking on arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport from the World Athletics Cross Country Championships held in Belgrade, Serbia on Saturday.

Chebet said that the great teamwork exhibited in her race is what Kenya should showcase in distance races at the Paris Olympics especially in 5,000m and 10,00m.

Kenya collected 11 medals; six gold, two silver and three bronze medals from Belgrade, Serbia, which was an improvement from last year’s championships held in Australia where the country got 10 medals; six gold, two silver and two bronze.

“I will be lying to say that I won it alone. There is no way we could have won the team title if not for teamwork. We talked about it since we knew from the world go that we had a strong team,” said Chebet. “It clearly manifested when we battled as a group to the end, exchanging leads.”

Chebet, the world 5km champion hinted that what made her retain her title was sheer determination and focus, something she wants to take to the Paris Olympics where she will be targeting a top podium place in 5,000m.

“This is a good start for me and this victory motivates me ahead of the Paris Olympics. Cross country has always been a good buildup for me ahead of my track season. I will always put God first,” said Chebet.

But first things first, Chebet now turns her immediate focus to Doha Diamond league on May 10 where she will compete in 3,000m before heading for the  Prefontaine Classic where she will compete in 10,000m on May 25 in Eugene, United States of America.

“We promised a good show and won the team title and that shows what many hands can achieve ahead of the Paris Olympics,” said Anyango, who finished fourth and on her debut as a senior for Kenya.

Anyango said she intends to participate in a few Diamond League events before targeting the 5,000m and 10,000m tickets for the Paris Olympics.

“It now gives me a strong belief that we can capture all the men and women’s 5,000m and 10,000m gold medals in Paris if we embrace this unity,” said Lilian Kasait, who won her second silver medal in the senior women’s 10km race.

The late Naftali Temu was the first and last Kenyan to win an Olympic title in men's 10,000m during the 1968 Games while John Ngugi was also the first Kenyan to win 5,000m at the Olympics in 1988.

The women are yet to win the Olympics 10,000m title while Vivian Cheruiyot won the 5,000m in 2016.

Munguti said it shall forever be engraved in his heart that he led a team that conquered the world, adding that such great teamwork, hardwork, discipline and cooperation will take Kenya far.

“I really want to register my appreciation to the government, Athletics Kenya, my teammates and coaches for the unity displayed in this successful journey,” said Munguti, who led Kenya’s quartet that retained the mixed relay title.

Benson Kiplangat, who claimed bronze in senior men’s 10km, the only Kenyan medallist in the race, said Kenya’s long wait in the category will soon be over.

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo retained the men's 10km title that Kenya won last in 2017 through Geoffrrey Kamworor. 

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