Nyairera out to win Kenya another medal
What you need to know:
- Nyairera is the only Kenyan who made it to the final after world bronze medallist Eunice Sum withdrew with illness while Emily Cherotich didn’t qualify for the semi-finals.
- Nyairera describes the London Championships as “tough”.
IN LONDON
Kenya will be banking on Olympic bronze medallist Margaret Nyairera in the 800m for another medal as the IAAF World Championships draw to a close at the London Olympic Stadium on Sunday.
Nyairera is the only Kenyan who made it to the final after world bronze medallist Eunice Sum withdrew with illness while Emily Cherotich didn’t qualify for the semi-finals.
Nyairera describes the London Championships as “tough” but is looking forward to improve her personal best time after doing more intensive training after bagging the bronze at last year’s Rio Olympics.
“Championship races are tough but I will be looking forward to a good run and I will be happy to improve my time and performance here in London. My finishing is better compared to last year,” said Nyairera.
She knows there will be stiff competition, especially from South Africa’s Olympic champion and favourite Caster Semenya and Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi, who won silver in Rio.
“We have Semenya and Niyonsaba who have been very tough in the races I have participated with them but I won’t give up until I beat them. I have to be in the podium again this year,” said Nyairera.
“I will just run my race and I must say competition is stiff, even from the European countries who are now doing better in athletics,” said the athlete, who is coached by Sammy Maina Macharia.
Nyeri-based Nyairera came into the limelight when she won gold in the World Junior Championships in Eugene in 2014.
She was in the team that went to the World Championships in Beijing in 2015 which was her first event in the seniors but she did not qualify for the next round.
That didn’t stop her from trying and she went ahead with her training and was named to represent the country at the World Indoor Championships in Portland where she bagged bronze last year.
She was also in the team that participated in the Africa Championships in Durban where this time round she changed her specialty to compete in the 400m and 4x400m where she bagged silver and bronze respectively.
Nyairera was named in the team that headed to the Olympics Games in Rio where she won bronze in a personal best of 1:56.89.
Kenya has only won the women’s world 800m title twice, through Janeth Jepkosgei in 2007 (Osaka) and Eunice Sum (Moscow, 2013).
