Simiu takes stock after World Indoors

The 2022 Discovery Cross Country champion Daniel Simiu will be using lessons from the World Indoor Championship in Belgrade as a yardstick for other major events. 

Simiu who finished fourth in the men’s 3,000m final said the lessons were priceless more so because he raced alongside Olympic 10,000m champion Selemon Barega, the eventual winner of the race. 

“It was just amazing to finish fourth place at the 2022 World Indoor Championships in Belgrade. I thank all my fans for believing in me even if I never got a medal. That experience will help me as I prepare for my outdoor season,” Simiu said. 

The Valencia Ibercaja 10km champion who timed 7:42.97, behind Barega (7:41.38), Lamecha Girma (7:41.63) and Briton Marc Scott (7:42.02) is sure there will be other battles in future. 

“I tried as much as I could to bring a medal home. It was just not my day…that is now forgotten and I have turned my focus on upcoming competitions. Every day comes with new possibilities and my approach to life is always to be excited about what tomorrow holds,” he said.  

“I can’t tell for sure where it will be at the World Championships or Commonwealth Games, I know we shall meet again, I want to focus on my progress to be ready for similar battles when they come,” he added. 

Simiu’s career has been riddled with setbacks from which he has managed to rise, such as in 2019 when he was barred from competing at the World Championships in Doha for not fulfilling the minimum number of mandatory anti-doping tests within a competitive period.  

Simiu also competed in the men’s 5,000m at the Tokyo Olympics where he failed to qualify for the final after clocking 13:41.64 in Heat One of the race.  

However, the San Silvestre Vallecana 10km champion says he is patient with his first medal in an international competition.  

“I am not under any pressure to win a medal. I have come a long way. For now, it is time to resume training as we discuss with my manager about the next race. It is only God who knows what the future holds…whether I can run at the Commonwealth Games or the World Championships,” Simiu said 

For now, Simiu is not about to forget Belgrade in a hurry, having left the Serbian capital with a lot of memories worth a lifetime.  

“The memories are quite a lot. I made many friends like Barega who came and encouraged me after the final. There was also Berihu Aregawi (Ethiopian) who came and hugged me after Heat Three of our race and wished me all the best in the finals. So, all in all, it has been an unforgettable adventure,” he said.