NAIROBI, Kenya: July 18 (Xinhua) — This year, Kenya is making a comeback in the 4x400m men’s relay, 40-years after winning gold through the quartet of Charles Asati, Hezekiah Nyamao, Robert Ouko and the late Julius Sang-Olympic hiatus at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.
The London 2012 team, which comprises of Vincent Mumo, Alphas Kishoiyan, Vincent Kosgei and Bonface Mucheru, are currently training in low altitude in Bristol under Coach Bruce Lati.
Mucheru and Kiplagat are also among the first Kenyan athletes to qualify in the sprints in recent times to represent the country in the Olympics. Team members are reportedly responding well with the training and the low altitude climate which is good for the sprinters.
Conspicuously missing will be perennial participants, Nigeria who are not among the group of 16 teams that qualified for the London Olympics 4x400m relay event. Kenya, USA, South Africa, Jamaica, Cuba, Russia, Belgium, and Great Britain were named by the IAAF as teams that will file out on Aug.
8 for the semi-finals.Others that the IAAF named as qualifiers are Bahrain, Germany, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Australia, Dominican Republic, Japan and Poland.Speaking before the team’s departure to Bristol, the CEO of Team Kenya Stephen Soi said the young team which comprises of very young runners was expected to perform well.
Charles Asati, the man who ran the first leg of the 1972 race told Xinhua in Nairobi on Wednesday that it will take Kenya many years to win an Olympic medal, leave alone the gold.
“During our time, we put the country before self. Money was never a factor as we ran for honours. Unlike nowadays when winner receive monetary rewards, we were recompensed with blankets and the like. We however took it in our stride,” said the 66-year-old veteran.
Asati also won gold medals in 400m and 4x400m relay at the 1970 Commonwealth Games and at the 1973 All Africa Games. He ended his running career in 1974 with gold medals in the 400m and 4x400m relay during the Commonwealth Games.
Robert Ouko, who ran the third leg in the gold medal winning team is still very active in athletics circles and is a onetime chairman of Kenya’s athletics body. (Xinhua)
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