Kenya fourth in World Deaf Athletics meet
What you need to know:
- In the 5,000m race, Kibai defeated 18 athletes in another season’s best time of 14:25.19.
- His compatriot David Kiptum and Kingstedt settled for silver and bronze in 14:28.71 and 14:31.50. Beryl Wamira scooped Kenya’s other silver medal in the women’s 200m in 25.42.
Kenya finished fourth with eight medals - two gold, two silvers and four bronze- at the 2020 World Deaf Athletics Championships that ended at Lublin Athletics Stadium in Poland on Saturday.
Deaf Athletics Association of Kenya President Jones Kiplangat told Nation Sport Sunday inadequate preparations cost the team more medals in the competition.
However, he said that they were impressed with the team’s performance.
He said that the team of 30 trained together for only one week before jetting out of the country for the games and still managed a decent manage catch.
Russia topped the table with 45 medals – 18 gold, 12 silver and 15 bronze, ahead of Belarus who scooped 12 medals – four gold, four silver and four bronze. Ukraine finished third with 20 medals – three gold, 11 silver and six bronze.
Symon Kibai Cherono won Kenya’s two gold medals in men’s 5,000 metres and 10,000m races. In the 10,000m race, which had 15 athletes, Kibai, 34, won in a season’s best time of 29:44.44, Swede Otto Kingstedt and another Kenyan Martin Gachie were second and third after timing 29:47.31 and 30:12.40, respectively.
In the 5,000m race, Kibai defeated 18 athletes in another season’s best time of 14:25.19.
His compatriot David Kiptum and Kingstedt settled for silver and bronze in 14:28.71 and 14:31.50. Beryl Wamira scooped Kenya’s other silver medal in the women’s 200m in 25.42.