Team Kenya coaches are counting on the trio of Bernard Kibet, Nicholas Kipkorir and Daniel Mateiko to deliver the country's first medal (s) of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in Friday's 10,000m final at the national stadium, Stade de France.
Speaking at the Olympic Village in Saint Ouen on Thursday afternoon, coach Alex Sang said the trio are good enough to deliver Kenya's first title over the distance since Naftali Temu's triumph in 1968.
"We have high hopes in them even though we have our perennial rivals, Uganda and Ethiopia also in contention. I know they will pose a great challenge but we trust our athletes to deliver," said Sang.
"They are all good in their own right if you consider the times they have clocked this season and at the national trials during the Prefontaine Classic," he added.
He pointed out the rigorous training the trio had undergone in preparation for the Olympics.
"We had a structured programme. We started with endurance training and then headed for speed," said Sang. However, due to limited time, the team did not do gym work.
"The speed work was intense and we believe it has prepared our boys to finally crack the elusive title. Unfortunately, we couldn't afford time to hit the gym and hill work since we had already slipped into championship mode. It was important to get our priorities right," revealed.
Sang said they are cautious on how to approach the 10 pm final due to the heat in Paris.
"The weather in Nairobi and Eldoret was a bit different from what we have in Paris. It's hot here," he observed.
Also in action on Friday are the Round One races of the women's 1,500m (11:05 am), women's 5000m (6:10 pm), 4x400m mixed relay (7:10 pm) and women's 800m (7:45 pm).
Sang said they are all well equipped for duty and expects them to sail to the next round.
His hopes in the 1500m trio of Timothy Cheruiyot, Brian Komen and Ronald Cheruiyot are sky-high.
"They have posted good times in their recent competitions and we expect them to challenge for the medals too.
Meanwhile, Sang has revealed how they factored the athletes' welfare by offering time off training. "Despite the tight schedule, we used to give the athletes recovery and family time, which is key in ensuring they are mentally comfortable," he said.
"We had engagements with corporates and the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya, which left our athletes not only prepared but informed," he added.
Discipline-wise, Sang is a proud tactician, having had no issues within the camp.
He was appreciative of the support granted by the Ministry of Sports and the National Olympic Committee of Kenya.
"We couldn't have everything we would have wished for but the government and the National Olympic Committee came through to our satisfaction," he concluded.