Road to Tokyo: Will experienced athletes anchor Kenya to victory?

Kenya assembled a blend of experienced top guns and fast-rising stars as it gets set for next month’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

To weather the storm and lift the nation’s spirit from September 13 – 21, are athletes who have carried the country’s hopes in major championships including the world show and the Olympics. They earned their tickets alongside debutants.

For previous medallists at either Worlds or Olympic stages, experience and knowledge of opponents is expected to play out, pundits say.

Take Faith Kipyegon for instance. She is among the most experienced in Team Kenya, taking to the global showpiece an impressive CV in track racing.

Kipyegon has six medals among them four gold and two silver after representing Kenya in the senior category, at the World Championships since 2015 Beijing.

Tokyo25 will be Kipyegon’s sixth time flying Kenyan colours at the World Athletics Championships and she will be expected to anchor the nation’s squad alongside other experienced charges to brilliant performances.

Ten years ago, the three-time Olympic champion, now aged 31, brought home a silver medal in the women’s 1500m as she transitioned to the senior category in style. She continued her stellar shows at the World Championships, winning titles in 1500m in 2017, 2022 and 2023, and she heads to Tokyo as a defending champion.

Kipyegon has hinted at handing the baton to youngsters such as 22-year-old Olympian Nelly Chepchirchir, who will also be competing at the Tokyo World Championships alongside Susan Ejore and Dorcas Ewoi, as she hopes to transition to 5000m and 10,000m.

“I’m happy to see the next generation of women’s 1500m athletes such as Nelly Chepchirchir especially as I consider shifting to 5000m and 10,000m. They will be taking the baton because this has been our race,” Kipyegon, who takes her world record in 1500m to Tokyo, says.

Also taking a solid experience to Tokyo is 29-year-old Timothy Cheruiyot who, like Kipyegon, kicked off his World Championships campaign at the Beijing15 and has been at that topmost arena since then.

Cheruiyot has battled injuries and faced the strongest opposition from Norwegian star, Olympic gold medallist in the distance, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, but has one world title from Doha19 under his belt.

“I am so happy because this (Tokyo25) will be the sixth World Championships for me. I have stayed in 1500m for the longest time; it is now 15 years,” says Cheruiyot.

Through his experience, Cheruiyot says he will rally younger compatriots Reynold Kipkorir and Phanuel Korir to run as a team in Tokyo.

Javelin star Julius Yego also takes to Tokyo a wealth of experience from the 2013 World Championships where he placed fourth before winning a gold medal in 2015.

Kipchumba Byron, a sports expert coach says athletes such as Julius Yego, Faith Kipyegon and Timothy Cheruiyot among others have the capacity to withstand pressure in high level competitions such as the World Championships.

“They can work under pressure because they have been subjected to pressure before. They have also gone through the system and know how to prepare for a World Championship and they have been wounded by wins and losses,” Dr Byron says.

According to the Iten-based sports expert, experienced athletes heading to the World Championships can offer leadership and mentorship to youngsters, who might be overwhelmed by the excitement of representing Kenya at the World Championships for the first time.

“Age comes with the responsibility of leadership and fresh blood will tend to listen to experienced athletes. It will however work negatively if the experienced stars don’t provide leadership when needed,” he added.

The Ministry of Sports has lauded the team to Tokyo, expressing optimism of a bumper medal harvest.

Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya said the government will give the athletes all the necessary support to fly the Kenyan colours in Tokyo.

Mvurya said the country’s Under-18/Under-20 team which bagged 13 gold, 12 silver and 9 bronze medals during the African competition in Nigeria had set the pace for mouthwatering performances.

“This year is a year of medal harvest. Just recently, we welcomed Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet who broke world records in the US (Eugene Diamond League). We have also welcomed a team from Nigeria who won several medals.

The CS goes on to state: “The team requires the support of all Kenyans in terms of moral support and training and creating an enabling environment for them to succeed. The government will offer full support to the team as it prepares for Tokyo. We are also bolstering anti-doping efforts so that the country competes clean and we further raise our profile internationally and we remain to celebrate our national pride.”