NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 21 – Sylvia Chelangat took Kenya’s medal hunt at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships to nine with a determined push to clinch bronze in the 400m final at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani on Saturday.
Chelangat pushed in to clock a new personal best time of 52.23 seconds, coming in behind Imaobong Nse Uko of Nigeria who won gold while Poland’s Kornelia Lesiewiscz came home second for silver.
So fast was the race that five of the seven starters in the race clocked new Personal best times.
Nigerian Uko timed a new PB of 51.55secs while Polish Kornelia alos lowered her PB, crossing the line in 51.97.
Sylvia Chelangat of Kenya chases down Poland’s Kornelia Lesiewiscz in the final of the women’s 400m at teh World U20 Championships. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya
“I really feel happy to win this bronze for Kenya,” Chelangat said.
She added; “When I was starting, I was very cautious of two things; first I was very careful not to step out of my line and secondly, I was keen on not to false start. I had told myself that even if I don’t get a medal, I just want to set my personal best. There was no point of fighting to be number one and then I either false start or infringe on my lane,” she disclosed.
She further explained; “I knew lane five and six were strong because when I looked at the start list, I saw their times were very good. I just told myself that I would chase down after them. In the final 150m, I really felt it hurt but I told my body, I was just starting the race. That helped me to push and get a bronze.”
The Kenyan put in a brilliant display despite starting off slow on the blocks and her performance at the homestretch elevated her to medal position.
Her reaction off the blocks was the slowest of the seven starters, but she steadied herself going past the first bend before streaming herself better at the second.
Coming into the home straight, the Kenyan dug deep, pushed herself and despite falling off at the finish line, she had already secured a medal.
