"I should take the blame" - Kirwa
There weren't many smiles in the Kenyan camp
There wasn’t a happy Kenyan face in the house after the men’s race at this weekends World XC. The post-race reflection will go on deep into the summer for their task-master Julius Kirwa, who yesterday blamed himself for not triumphing in Jordan.
Though should he be so hard on a team that managed to medal in all but the senior men’s race? Even then they still walked away with the team title.
It seems that their bitterest of rivals Ehtiopia have got it right when it comes to preparation. They were low key, there was none of the national send-offs by bank execs and Government ministers – but they still managed to coolly and calmly win every title except for the women’s (and let’s face it if Tirunesh had been there it could have been a clean sweep, yet again). The pressure that the athletes felt before even getting to Amman must have been immense.
Komon and Mosop were under intense pressure
John Ngugi and Paul Tergat rallied the troops before they left, with Ngugi saying Go and bring us back our glory , for some this may have worked, maybe not so in the men’s case.
What all of this shows to us is how much it means to Kenya. Kirwa is merely echoing the nation, ‘Kenya expects’, a little like when an English football team departs for the World Cup, that is how much it means.
Battered and dejected, a Kenyan post-race
A year ago Kenya emerged from one of the most brutal tribal wars ever seen in modern times, thousands were killed, many top athletes amongst them. They are beginning to rebuild their lives, the Kenyan nation is strong and resolute. The same will be for it’s cross-country team. It will take time, but time is a great healer and I suspect that come Poland 2010 the Kenyans will be just as passionate and just as hungry – and then, as now, Kenya will expect!
There were some smiles for the medalists
