Something’s Wrong with Our Athletes in London

We all expected super performance. We are used to things stellar. Gold, at least Bronze but have never before missed silver. This time round, things, our athletics, is not going as planned, it’s kissing the tails instead of the heads, gold. Not good, not better. 

When Asbel Kiprop, crossed the line last in the 1500m Final, his breath, as he crossed that white line, must have smelled bad. Stank. A refined runner like him, reigning Olympic champion, though he won it by default after the 2008 winner, Rashid Ramzi, later excreted banned substances, is not known to hug tails. 

His fellow citizens never think of tails either, not least in athletics, maybe football where wins are bizarre, loses endeared. Our athletics has been different for us, different kettle of fish in our under-performing sports sector; we have been astronomical, in the past, unbeatable in some races. But what is coming out of London is most regrettable. We do not need any more patience, to say this year’s Olympics performance is unacceptable. 

Other athletes, 3000m female steeplechaser Lydia Rotich, Silas Kiplagat, Faith Chepgetich, Edwin Soi have all performed dismally so far. 

Information is fast coming out about the supremacy battles pitting two participating Kenyan organisations in the global event. National Olympic Committee of Kenya and Athletics Kenya officials seem not to know well what athletics means to Kenyans. That's why they are letting their belching stomachs taint our super fast tiny legs of our formerly successful runners. They should be told this sport is all ours and never theirs. We own it. Our athletes make all of us happy and proud when they do well, when they bring home medals. When they are not managed well we demand for the sacking and fining of the poor managers. It seems it’s the case here. Poor management should never be glorified. 

It is so unfortunate the battle seems to have stolen the fighting spirit in our beloved athletes. Before, they would battle to the bitter tape, nowadays, they do not fight, they run their own race. They give up distances away from the home stretch. No final kicks, they don’t let their legs stretch to their best. They run in pedestrian pace. Unacceptable. 

Something is wrong. We want to be told what it is. Can’t take this London mediocrity any longer.