Members of Kenya’s 4x400m feel they still have something to offer on the international stage despite exiting their specialty in the first round at the World Athletics Championships which concluded on Sunday at the National Athletics Stadium in Budapest, Hungary.
The quartet of Kennedy Muthoki, Zablon Ekwam, Kelvin Tauta and Wyclife Kinyamal placed seventh in Heat 2 in a season’s best time of 3:01.41.
Kenya were on course for the semis as they trailed Jamaica towards the anchor leg only for Kinyamal to pull a muscle only 15 metres away from the finishing line.
The athletes said the country has the potential to perform well in the event if they are given support.
“All we need is some sort of a camp with a gym and coaches,” said Tauta, adding that the country has focused more on middle and long-distance races at the expense of sprints.
Until the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala started performing well, sprints were almost forgotten.
“It’s time we paid attention to sprints because we have great potential in the country. Look at the huge number of sprinters who turn out for Athletics Kenya weekend meetings nowadays. We must do something,” he noted.
Kinyamal, who was in pain after pulling a muscle, said he tried to push but the muscle pull could not let him. He said the baton was well handed to him but he couldn’t execute the race due to the pain that spilled to his back.
“I felt bad. We knew we would reach the final if not snatch a medal,” he said.
Tauta said sprinters need to train together for long if the country is to make an impact in the sector.
Muthoki, who started off the race, said: “If it were not for the muscle pull, we were going to finish second in the heat. This is evidence that we have talent and all we need is to work together.”
