Wait for the best, world 10,000m silver medallist Waithaka says

"You haven’t seen anything yet," world 10,000 metres silver medallist Stanley Waithaka has said.

“What you saw during the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, USA, on July 17 last year, just smokescreen,” added the athlete.

At the same time, the 2016 Rio Olympic Games 5,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot has promised a strong return from maternity break.

Waithaka, who was touted as a favourite, did not finish the senior men’s 10 kilometres race during the just-concluded Sirikwa Classic World Cross Country Gold Tour at Lobo Village in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.

He withdrew from the race after two laps with chest congestion.

Former world 10,000m champion Cheruiyot also pulled out of the senior women’s 10km race on the eve of the competition citing leg niggles.

The national cross country champion Charles Lokir reigned in the men’s, while double Olympic 1,500m gold medallist Faith Chepng’etich tore the field apart for the women’s title.

Borrowing from a famous Swahili saying: “Panapofuka moshi pana moto” (where there is smoke there is fire), Waithaka said that the world should now expect fire, henceforth.

“What people saw was just smoke and for sure let them prepare for real fire,” said Waithaka, who is drawing inspiration from the last Kenyan to win the world 10,000m title — Charles Kamathi during the 2001 Edmonton championship.

Waithaka said that he has made the best preparations for victory during the World Athletics Championships scheduled for August 17 to 29 in Budapest, Hungary.

Recalling the final in Oregon, Waithaka said that victory was in sight had he not tripped twice during the race that was won by Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei.

Near the back of the pack Waithaka fell to the track, got up quickly and and returned to action.

He was tripped again in the third lap of the 25-lap race but kept upright to battle on, passing Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega to claim silver in season’s best 27 minutes and 27.90 seconds.

Cheptegei, the World Cross Country champion, went for victory also in personal best of 27:27.43, as compatriot Jacob Kiplimo settled for bronze in 27:27:97 to seal the East African affair podium.

 “I learnt a lot from the race hence I need to polish on my speed and finishing techniques,” said Waithaka, adding that he hopes to attain the qualifying time first.

“I know the standards are quite high but we shall achieve them.”

Waithaka has been training in Nyahururu under coaches Francis “Master” Kamau and Daniel Njenga since returning to the country from his Japan base a month ago.

The qualifying time for the Budapest world event in the 25-lap race is 27:10.00.

“He suffered some allergy on the eve of the Sirikwa Classic race and it affected his breathing with the dusty course at Lobo,” said Kamau, who handled Kamathi to victory in 2001.

“Waithaka talks so well of Kamathi and that is where he is drawing inspiration from. I believe he will get the qualifying time and victory in Budapest.

“Things could have been different in Oregon if he didn’t trip twice,” said Kamau, adding that Waithaka has been working on his finishing kick.

Cheruiyot, who was due to compete in Lobo, said she didn’t want to put pressure on herself after she felt some discomfort in her legs.

“I might have missed Lobo but you will see me in some local races soon,” declared Cheruiyot, who won the 2011 Daegu and 2015 Beijing World 10,000m and 2009 Belin and 2011 Daegu World 5,000m titles.

“I am trying to cut on my weight and for sure it’s coming out nicely. My body is responding well to the buildup,” explained the 39-year-old Cheruiyot.