Former Olympic champion Vivian Cheruiyot on Wednesday, December 21, raised concerns of the state of Kenyan athletics.
Vivian noted that the future of Kenya's athletics is bleak due to dwindling number of active and brilliant runners on the track.
Cheruiyot is among the best female sportspersons to ever have emerged from the East African nation.
Also Read: How Kenyan Athletes Stay Fit & Motivated to Win Races
In an interview with Daily Sport, the 39-year-old stated that the departure of senior athletes like Hellen Obiri made Kenya’s team weaker.
“When I left in 2016, Obiri and some of the athletes such as the late Agnes Tirop were in top form. But now if you see the 5,000m and 10,0000m races, you don't find people who are strong.
“So, I don't know where we are heading, but God willing, I hope they would recruit the young ones to take over from the ones who have left. It is not easy to get people like Obiri, Agnes, and me nowadays,” stated Cheruiyot.
She won four world championships titles and an Olympic gold medal before she decided to ditch track for road races.
The reigning 10,000m national record holder added that the public’s confidence in athletes has diminished.
“I am not happy because when we used to go for championships, Kenyans really knew that we were going to win something. But today, the story is different,” she divulged.
The runner, who switched to road races after competing for 18 years in track and Cross Country events, further announced that she is seeking to make a comeback from maternity break in 2023.
“I cannot say anything right now because I have just started training. I need to lose weight first. That is the priority, and then after that, I can say something. But probably next year I would do something,” she explained.
The Pocket Rocket as she was popularly known, also explained the difference between training for track and road races.
“Marathon and track and field are totally different. In the track and field, the training was a little bit friendly, because you cannot go for long runs, like 40 kilometers per day or sometimes once a week. So, marathon training needs dedication and relaxation,” ended the 2011 World Cross Country Championships gold medalist.