This archive report was first published on 6 September 2019.
Published on September 6, 2019, by Geoffrey Anene, a sports journalist with extensive experience.
Vanice Kerubo, the 17-year-old African Games 400 meters hurdles champion, has made a desperate appeal to Athletics Kenya (AK) to secure a wild card to the World Championships in Doha, Qatar, scheduled to take place from September 27 to October 6.
Despite narrowly missing the entry standard of 56.00 seconds by a few seconds, Kerubo is confident that she can make a significant impact in Doha if given the opportunity. In an interview with Nation Sport, Kerubo expressed her hope that AK will consider her request, stating, “I’m hoping AK will give me the ticket. I missed the qualifying time by a few seconds but I promise Kenyans if given a chance, I’ll not disappoint in Doha.”
Reflecting on her impressive performance in Rabat, Morocco, where she won gold with a time of 56.95 seconds, Kerubo believes that she can step up her game in Doha. She noted, “My first target was to qualify for the final which I did by winning my heat in 57.87 seconds. In the final, I made sure the runners who had the best times in their heats did not overtake me, then sped away from the Moroccan in the last 30 metres to clinch the title. I know competition will be different and very tight in Doha, but I believe with better training, my tactics will still work well.”
Kenya has only four sprinters who have made it to Doha, including the women’s 400m duo of national record holder Hellen Syombua (51.09secs) and Africa Under-20 champion Mary Moraa, as well as national 400m champion Alphas Kishoyian (45.30) and Nicholas Kiprotich Chirchir (49.40) in 400m hurdles.
