Runner formerly known as Cherono

[Guest]

With all the talk currently of the animosity of the Kenyans towards the steepler formerly known as Stephen Cherono (CBC even mentioned that his brother Albert isn't talking to him), I was wondering where he currently lives/trains?

His bio on his agent's site http://www.kimsportsmanagement.com/athl ... asp?id=117 says he lives in Kenya. Unlike other recent nationality switchers (Kiplagat, Kipketer, etc) who spend much of their time in their new country, one of the stipulations of Qatar is that he spends two months a year there (why would he set foot there otherwise?).

So where is he really a citizen/resident of? Is he still based in Kenya or will he be spending the non-Qatar 10 months of the year living out of a suitcase around Europe?

[Guest]

Re: Runner formerly known as Cherono

doesn't matter where he lives as long as he keeps in contact with rosa.

[Guest]

Re: Runner formerly known as Cherono

Thanks for taking the time to post your flippant remark, but it doesn't do anything towards answering my question.

[Randy Treadway]

Re: Runner formerly known as Cherono

The degree that a particular training locale & residence contribute to his success is probably a lot less relevant than the Rosa connection.

[Guest]

Re: Runner formerly known as Cherono

>The degree that a particular training locale &
>residence contribute to his success is probably a
>lot less relevant than the Rosa connection.

I realize that and wasn't trying to to determine the "secret" of his success, but rather the social implications of his switching allegiances. I presume the others I mentioned were a little more amicable in their departure from Kenya and they are actually spending significant time in their new countries in a way that the runner formerly known as Cherono is not.

Just curious as to where he will be calling 'home'.

[Randy Treadway]

Re: Runner formerly known as Cherono

If there is a two-month rule imposed by Qatar, then I would think he would pick the coolest months of the year and an off-season period when there is the least need to train in group with Rosa teammates (why would THEY want to go to Qatar?).

I would think that in his travels around the world, he will also try to schedule as many flight connections as possible to just happen to 'connect' at the Qatar airport, so as to get credit for touching his feet on the ground.

If he walks into a Qatar embassy anywhere in the world, which some people consider a legal extension of the home territory, do you think he'd get credit for "1 day" toward the 2 month requirement?
Let's see, in Paris he could walk into the Embassy at least once for each day of WC competition plus a few days before and after....
....hey he's probably got a quarter of the 2 months credited without even leaving Paris!...

[Randy Treadway]

Re: Runner formerly known as Cherono

Oh yes, social implications.

In Qatar-
The government & the athletics federation: probably could care less- they just like to see the national anthem being played on the victory podium.
The public:
He's probably a curiosity, but the pride of hearing their anthem probably outweighs anything else. If he's seen around the world, in nightclubs or wherever, violating their religous sense of propriety, that could backfire on him.
True Qatar athletes:
I doubt any of them got 'bumped' from the travel team to make room for him. It would mean a great deal if he spent time working with them- like clinics. Otherwise it probably doesn't make much difference to them. They may be a little more interested in watching the race on TV if they've met him.

Kenya:
Government & athletics federation: There are rumors that a lot of money changed hands to "buy" an okay for Kenya to "release" him. So they're probably sitting fat and happy. It's not like they don't have armies of other athletes just waiting to take his place.
Kenyan athletes: a few of them might consider him a traitor, but most of them understand the concept of money. It's unlikely that his presence will 'bump' anybody from the Final in any major races. Like Paris, it just took away a gold that he might have won anyway in THEIR singlet. I kind of get the idea that Kenyan athletes aren't that nationalistic; they train in groups and have more allegiance to those groups.
Kenyan public- they probably take some pride in him and Wilson Kipketer (Denmark). If massive exoduses of Kenyan athletes started happening, there would be more concern.

[Guest]

Re: Runner formerly known as Cherono

Randy, thanks for the replies and analysis. Maybe using the term 'social implications' wasn't quite what I meant it to be though.

From my understanding, many top Kenyans spend half the year or more in Kenya, either in recovery mode or super intense build up mode, and then relocate to a European (or US for the roadies) base for the summer campaign.

Given the supposed animosity now with Kenya, I'm curious will he be doing that super intense, world reknowned Kenyan buildup in Kenya or elsewhere. As you mentioned, he very likely won't be doing it in Qatar.

[dl]

Re: Runner formerly known as Cherono

Qatar's just doing what it has been for decades. There are more guest workers in Qatar than citizens. They come from Pakistan, the Phillipines, Indonesia and elsewhere to work in the petroleum and (booming) natural gas industries. National Geographic had an excellent story on the country a few months ago.