Veronica Mutua is determined to upgrade her African Championships 400m bronze medal to gold between June 21 and 26 in Douala, Cameroon.
At the 2022 edition in Saint Pierre, Mauritius, Mutua clocked 52.36 to finish third behind Zambia’s Niddy Mingilishi (52.36) and South Africa’s Miranda Coetzee (51.82).
Mutua is confident about the upcoming challenge in Douala, leveraging the experience gained over the years.
“I am confident going into the championships. I will use the experience I gained in 2022 to upgrade my medal to gold,” she declared.
However, the 32-year-old remains cautious, acknowledging the fierce competition expected.
“The competition will be tough. I will not underestimate anyone,” she stated.
Mutua is sharpening her skills at Nyayo Stadium under seasoned sprints coach Stephen Mwaniki, particularly on her finish.
“I am working on my finish, especially the final 100m. I am perfect off the blocks,” she noted.
Mutua will enter the competition buoyed by her performance at last month's national championships.
She finished third in 52.60 behind Gladys Jepkemboi (52.13) and Mercy Chebet (51.81) at the Ulinzi Sports Complex on May 22.
“My performance at the nationals is motivation enough for a positive result in Cameroon,” she added.
Mutua targets a new personal best in Cameroon.
“My target is 51.90 or 52 seconds. I want to build on the 52.60 I clocked at the nationals,” she stated.
The seasoned sprinter has a lifetime best of 52.41 set during the 2017 Kenyan championships, where she placed second behind Maximilla Imali, who set a national record of 51.18.
Mutua is also optimistic about Kenya's prospects in Douala.
“I believe the team AK will choose will be strong. We will compete to secure the overall crown just like in 2022,” she said.
In 2022, Kenya topped the medal standings with 23 medals (10 gold, five silver, and eight bronze). South Africa followed with 36 medals (nine gold, 13 silver, and 14 bronze) while Nigeria claimed 11 (five gold, three silver and three bronze).
Mutua anchored the women's 4x400m relay team to silver in 3:35.55 behind South Africa (3:29.34).
