Athletics Kenya national team head coach Julius Kirwa has admitted that the East African powerhouse is losing its dominance in men’s races on the track because of the influence of road races. In yester years, Kenya proudly dominated middle and long distance track races in World Championships and Olympic Games, but that is no longer the case.
At the just concluded World Athletics Championships, Kenya had seven gold medals but only one won by a male athlete, Emmanuel Wanyonyi in the 800m.
Speaking exclusively to Telecomasia.net, Kirwa has admitted that the allure of more money in road running is pricing away athletes at a tender age, and is always difficult for them to compete on track once they get used to the road.
What business does a 20, 21-year-old have to do running road races? This has become our biggest problem because we now have too many athletes going to the road at a very young age, and lack progression. It is very difficult for an athlete to compete well at the track after going to the road. We are trying to address this problem with the Federation and we are talking to young athletes from the grassroots, just to ensure they understand the progression of going to the road. It is happening mostly among our male athletes.
With the prize purse in the Diamond League shrinking with a scaling down of distance races, most Kenyan athletes have opted to find good paydays in road races.
