My kick failed me, Kenya’s Lokedi says of Paralympics 5,000m debacle
Kenya's John Lokedi reacts after the 5,000m T13 race at the Paris Paralympic Games on August 30, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Lokedi stayed with the leading pack in the race but ran out of gas in the last three laps.
- Javelin thrower, Sheila Wanyonyi, who finished ninth in the final of her competition.
In Paris
Kenya is yet to win a medal at the ongoing Paralympic Games in Paris after the country’s medal prospects, John Lokedi and Wesley Sang, faltered in final races of their athletics competitions on Saturday.
The standards also proved too high for Kenya’s javelin thrower, Sheila Wanyonyi, who finished ninth in the final of her competition at the Stade de France in Paris.
Lokedi was the first Kenya athlete to take to the track in the men’s 5,000 metres T13 final which features partially blind athletes.
He stayed with the leading pack for the better part of the race but ran out of gas in the last three laps to finish a distant sixth in 16 minutes and 10.06 seconds.
Spaniard Yassine Ouhdadi, won the world title in 2019, broke free from the leading pack with two laps to go to retain his title in 15 minutes, 50.64 seconds. Neutral athletes Aleksandr Kostin and Anton Kuliatin claimed silver and bronze medals.
Despite the disappointment, Lokedi drew positives from his performance.
“The race went quite fine regardless of the results. It was a learning venture for me even as I return to the drawing board,” said Lokedi.
“I kept in touch with the leading pack and I guess my kick failed me in the last 800m.”
Lokedi said competing at such a high level needed more time for training and provision of good facilities.
“We only trained on a good artificial running track in France away from the murram track in Kapsabet. But again, it’s good for one to face such a quality field to know their weaknesses and strengths,” said Loekdi, adding that he hopes to return stronger next year for the World Para Athletics Championships scheduled for March in Dubai.
He urged Kenyan officials to take more athletes to the world events that will be used as qualifier competitions for the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics.
Kenya's John Lokedi competes in the 5,000m T13 race at the Paris Paralympic Games on August 30, 2024.
“The more the athletes, the higher the chances of getting medals,” he observed. He also advised local para sports managers to groom more talent.
“I was the only Kenyan athlete in the 5,000m T13, yet we have many youth who can be drawn to the sport,” explained Lokedi.
Likewise, Sang expressed his disappointment after finishing a distant 12th in 4:07.92 in men’s 1,500m T46 won by neutral athlete Aleksandr Laremchuk in 3:50.24 to add to his world title from Kobe, Japan.
Laremchuk edged out Australia Michael Roeger and Antoine Praud of France to second and third places in 3:51.19 and 3:51.37 respectively.
“I started losing balance after two laps and couldn’t inject pace in the race as I had wanted. I realised at the end of the race that some nails had come off my spikes,” a dejected Sang said.
He said he is now shifting focus to next year’s world championships.
Javelin thrower Wanyonyi, who finished ninth out of 10 in javelin T12/T13, said that was not the result she expected.
Yuping Zhao won gold in a new world record of 47.06metres, beating her previous mark of 46metres from the 2019 World Championships.
“I am humbled to compete at the Paralympics for the first time despite the results,” said Wanyonyi.
She pointed out that Kenyan para athletes need resources, better facilities and advanced training to match their opponents.
"I take this as a lesson and challenge myself to do better next time through self belief too," she said.
