Commonwealth bronze medallist Samuel Gathimba will have to wait longer for an Olympic medal whereas Judoka Zeddy Cherotich suffered a harsh taste of the Olympics.

Cherotich was eliminated prematurely by her Portuguese opponent Patricia Sampaio in the women’s 78kg category, just 20 seconds into the match at the Champ-de-Mars Arena.

At the Eiffel Tower, the famous landmark in Paris, the 20km walk race had to be delayed by 30 minutes following early morning storms. Gathimba posted his season best time of 1:21:26 to finish 22nd in the fast paced race.

Kenya’s hopefuls

Ecuador’s Brian Pintado won gold with a time of 1:18:55, while Brazil’s Caio Bonfim took silver with 1:19:09. World champion Alvaro Martin completed the podium in 1:19:11.

Meanwhile, Team Kenya coaches are counting on Bernard Kibet, Nicholas Kimeli, and Daniel Mateiko to secure Kenya’s medal in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The trio will compete in Friday’s 10,000m final at the Stade de France.

“Every competition has a winner. We have prepared them adequately. They are all strong contenders based on their times this season and at the national trials during the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon,” Team Kenya coach Alex Sang observed.

“We have high hopes for them, even though Uganda and Ethiopia will be formidable rivals. We trust the trio to deliver. We followed a structured program, starting with endurance training before moving to speed work. We didn’t have time for gym and hill work but focused on getting our priorities right.”

He remarked that the speed work was intense, and are confident that it has prepared the athletes to finally achieve the elusive title.

“They are cautious about how to approach the 10pm final due to the heat,” he added.

After the trials at the end of June, Sang told People Sport that they had to quickly adjust to the different weather in Paris compared to Nairobi.

“It is a bit hot here, but the athletes have shown high levels of discipline, especially since entering the residential training camp. Despite the tight schedule, we ensured recovery and family time, which is crucial for their mental comfort. We engaged with corporates and the Anti-Doping Agency of Kenya, which helped the athletes be well-prepared and perform effectively.

Training locations

“The training went well. We split the group into two—one in Nairobi and another in Eldoret—which was beneficial for the athletes’ comfort. We hope to see the results of their hard work starting tomorrow. Having coached for a long time, I know that athletes perform best in hot conditions. While we didn’t have everything we wished for, the government and the National Olympic Committee provided the necessary support, though not entirely. Timothy Cheruiyot, Brian Komen, and Reynold Cheruiyot have posted impressive times in recent competitions, and we expect them to challenge for medals in the 1500m.” he stated.