Simiu eager to shed off the ‘Mr Silver’ tag, targets Sirikwa ‘warm-up’
Daniel Simiu during a press conference held at Boma Inn Hotel in Eldoret town, Uasin Gishu County on February 02, 2024, ahead of the Third Edition of Sirikwa Classic World Athletics Cross Country Tour to be held at Lobo Village in Kapseret, Uasin Gishu County on Saturday.
What you need to know:
- Simiu, who earned nomination for fair play during the World Athletics Awards last year, seems to have discovered the remedy that will get rid of the Mr Silver tag
- Simiu is determined to do that in a busy season that has the World Cross Country Championships on March 30 in Belgrade, Serbia and Paris Olympic Games scheduled for July 26 to August 11 in the French capital
- Simiu notes that it’s not only Ethiopians, who now pose a big threat to Kenya in distance running but Uganda and European countries that have since upped the game with some training in Kenya
For Daniel Simiu, it’s not easy winning medals at major world championships but it’s also not appropriate to earn some nicknames.
Simiu is fast earning the name tag of Mr Silver…but why?
Simiu’s continued gradual rise in the world of athletics started in 2022 when he claimed silver in 5,000m at the Africa Athletics Championships in Mauritius, losing the battle to Ethiopia Hailemariyam Amare.
The 28-year-old Simiu then settled for similar exploits, going down to Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo in men’s 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, England, the same year.
Come 2023, Simiu settled for silver in men’s 10,000m at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, before setting for another silver medal at World Half Marathon during the World Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia.
Simiu, who earned nomination for fair play during the World Athletics Awards last year, seems to have discovered the remedy that will get rid of the Mr Silver tag.
Simiu is determined to do that in a busy season that has the World Cross Country Championships on March 30 in Belgrade, Serbia and Paris Olympic Games scheduled for July 26 to August 11 in the French capital.
“My big challenge has always been concentration and focus…if I manage to beat that then all will go well,” says Simiu, adding that he is working hard to improve on it.
Simiu says it’s huge winning a medal at any global championships and one feels awful and empty to come home empty handed.
“This time around, I am determined to finally take that top podium place,” explains Simiu, adding that this year presents a good opportunity with the world cross and Olympics happening.”
“I have dreams to accomplish and starting with silver medals for sure is a good thing. What happened in Budapest and Riga were just the beginning...my story has started,” declares Simiu. “I hope to open more good chapters in my athletics life and I hope this year presents rich paragraphs.”
Simiu notes that it’s not only Ethiopians, who now pose a big threat to Kenya in distance running but Uganda and European countries that have since upped the game with some training in Kenya.
Simiu singled out Jakob Jakob Ingebrigtsen who won the world 5,000m title with Ugandans Joshua Cheptegei and Victor Kiplangat going for the 10,000m and marathon world titles in Budapest.
“That shouldn’t surprise us but rather we need to change tact…we have talked about this but we need to walk the talk now or perish,” says Simiu, noting that Kenya can reclaim its Olympic glory in 10,000m and 5,000m with good planning.
The late Naftali Temu won Kenya first and last Olympic 10,000m title at the 1968 Mexico City Summer Games while John Ngugi holds Kenya’s only victory in 5,000m from the 1988 Seoul Summer Games.
Kenya won the World Cross Country senior men’s last when Geoffrey Kamworor retained his crown at the 2017 championships in Kampala, Uganda. Ugandan Joshua Chepptegei and Jacob Kiplimo won the 2019 and 2023 world cross country editions.
But first things first, Simiu says he has to go through local qualifications that he equates to another mini world championship by virtue of the world class participation.
Simiu says his quest started when he claimed his maiden Kenya Police Service Cross Country Championships a fortnight ago before turning his focus to Sirikwa Classic Cross Country.
“I thank God for the opportunity and the organisers for giving me a chance to run in Lobo for the first time and hope to do my best, this being his third cross country race this year,” says Simiu, who opened his season with victory at the Campaccio International Cross Country in San Giorgio su Legnano, Italy on January 6 this year.
Simiu intimates that cross country races form one of the most crucial parts of an athlete's preparation ahead of the track or road races.
“That is why I am here at Sirikwa to get the new experience of running at altitude. Running a world event in Kenya will elicit a good and different feeling like no other,” says Simiu, adding that it’s in Kenya where his journey in athletics started. “East or west home is still the best.”
At Sirikwa, Simiu will be up against World Cross Country under-20 champion Ishmael Kipkurui, World Half Marathon champion Sabastian Sawe, the 2022 world 10,000m silver medalist Stanley Waithaka and the 2022 world 5,000m silver medallist Jacob Krop.
Others that also make the rich field in men’s 10km are world 3,000m steeplechase bronze medallist Abraham Kibiwott and 2020 world half marathon silver medallist Kibiwott Kandie, who is also the Commonwealth Games bronze medallist.
