NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 21 – Heristone Wanyonyi clinched Kenya a surprise gold medal at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships with victory in the 10,000m walk, becoming the first Kenyan to ever win the event in the history of the competition.
Wanyonyi also becomes the first Kenyan to win a walk medal at any world championship.
He clocked a new personal best time of 42mins, 10.84 seconds to wade off a stiff challenge from India’s Amit who came in second while Paul McGrath from Spain was third for bronze.
Not many Kenyans expected a gold at the 10,000m walk with Wnayonyi the sole representative in a loaded field of 24 athletes.
“I am really pleased to win this medal today because I have shown people that Kenya can also produce good race walkers. It is a motivation for me and others who want to take up the sport. I am really delighted because it wasn’t easy,” Wanyonyi explains.
“I just decided to stick to the leading pack and when I felt I still had energy I just went on. With four laps to go, I knew I was going to win gold. I just kept a steady pace and when the time came, I went up,” he added.
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Heristone Wanyonyi celebrates after winning the 10,000m walk at the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya
Wanyonyi and Indian Amit were the clear favourites with more than eight laps remaining. They had broken away after being part of a leading group for most parts of the opening laps.
The Kenyan had stuck to the back for most of the early laps and didn’t seem bothered despite a huge group being infront of him.
Dmitry Framachkov, representing neutral athletes, led the front pack at the halfway mark with Amit second, McGrath third and Wanyonyi fourth.
But slowly, he began to claw up space, following the race leader, India’s Amit. The field disintegrated with the two leading the pack with more than eight laps left.
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Heristone Wanyonyi and India’s Amit shoulder to shoulder in the final of the men’s 10,000m walk at the World Under-20 Championships in Nairobi. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya
With three laps left, Wanyonyi had tried to go past the Indian, but he later re-took the lead with two to go. Wanyonyi was patient. He never bat an eyelid as he waited for the opportune time to strike.
At the bell, the Kenyan made the move and weaved past the Indian. At the backstraight, he increased the gap and confidently strut down the tartan as he went for gold.
Amit could only watch as he came home for second with a time of 42:17.94 while McGrath was third in 42:26.11, a new Personal Best time. So huge was the gap between the leaders and the winners that the fourth placed athlete crossed the finish line 11 seconds later.
