Great Games for Kenya

[Moura]

So what's your conclusion, kamikaze ? I don't think anyone would or should be arguing the fact that Kenya has a lot more depth than Ethiopia in any event from the 800 to the marathon. But looking back at the 2008 Olympics in ten years, will you remember Bekele and Dibaba or the amazing depth of Kenya ?

I think I will remember Nancy Lagats shocker more than Bekele, Dibaba , Jelimo or any other freakish performance.

But the one athlete I will remember the most is Francois Mbango. People dont realize how much she has overcome. Its the stuff fairytales and hollywood is made of

1. No coach
2. Sub par facilities
3. Injuries galore
4. sabotage from local officials who want a cut of her pay
5. Took time off to have a child and finish a degree
6. Rejected an offer to defect to France
7. No agent
8. No sponsorship
9. No monetary incentive from Cameroun govt before games
10. Perhaps no advanced medicine to rehab injuries
11. No T&F tradition in Cameroun
12. No Camerounian has ever won Olympic gold
13. Was counted out --> Not in any prognostications
14. Little local support
15. Little to no funding from Cameroun assoc
16. Incompetent boobs running the sport --> perhaps well connected individuals who know jack about the sport


I could go on and on. Someone call Steven Spielberg
Who has a name for this movie --> Something to do with Indomitable lioness

I didn´t know all these things about Francoise ... honestly I saw her results with some doubts ,,, but if it is true everything you mention ... I agree that Francoise was fantastic.

[kamikaze7]

So what's your conclusion, kamikaze ? I don't think anyone would or should be arguing the fact that Kenya has a lot more depth than Ethiopia in any event from the 800 to the marathon. But looking back at the 2008 Olympics in ten years, will you remember Bekele and Dibaba or the amazing depth of Kenya ?

I think I will remember Nancy Lagats shocker more than Bekele, Dibaba , Jelimo or any other freakish performance.

But the one athlete I will remember the most is Francois Mbango. People dont realize how much she has overcome. Its the stuff fairytales and hollywood is made of

1. No coach
2. Sub par facilities
3. Injuries galore
4. sabotage from local officials who want a cut of her pay
5. Took time off to have a child and finish a degree
6. Rejected an offer to defect to France
7. No agent
8. No sponsorship
9. No monetary incentive from Cameroun govt before games
10. Perhaps no advanced medicine to rehab injuries
11. No T&F tradition in Cameroun
12. No Camerounian has ever won Olympic gold
13. Was counted out --> Not in any prognostications
14. Little local support
15. Little to no funding from Cameroun assoc
16. Incompetent boobs running the sport --> perhaps well connected individuals who know jack about the sport


I could go on and on. Someone call Steven Spielberg
Who has a name for this movie --> Something to do with Indomitable lioness

[croflash]

So what's your conclusion, kamikaze ? I don't think anyone would or should be arguing the fact that Kenya has a lot more depth than Ethiopia in any event from the 800 to the marathon. But looking back at the 2008 Olympics in ten years, will you remember Bekele and Dibaba or the amazing depth of Kenya ?

[kamikaze7]

Taking an objective compasion of the two nations:

Ethiopia produced more genuine freaks of nature lately and their longevity is amazing. Kenya has more depth. So many athletes capable of medalling in each event

Ethiopia has 2 excellent athletes who if one is injured would have halved their gold total. Ethiopia is one injury away from a sub par performance.

Kenya is such that even if several athletes were missing, they would probably still end up with 14 medals and 5 gold.

Lets say Bungei was missing and Rudisha was there. Kenya might still have won gold through Rudisha.
Or if Bungei and his pace making was missing , the pace may have been slower which favors Yego as in Osaka last year

If Asbel Kiprop was missing, Daniel Komen and Shadrack Korir both have the potential to win a medal at the 1500m. Both failed to qualify. I think Komen is the most talented miler Kenya has and may have won gold.
In the 5k, Leonard Komon or Moses masai or Silas Kipruto may have medalled if they replaced Kipchoge......perhaps even Isaac Songok. Same in the 10k

If Kipruto was not there, Kipsiele Koech would have qualified and possibly won gold in the steeple. .

The marathon is the most unpredictable but one might argue that Robert Cheruyiot had a shot at winning, maybe Felix Limo or maybe Luke Kibet the world champ) if he was not called up late. There are almost a dozen Kenyans who ran the marathon in under 2:07 last year. I am not sure how many this year.

Its fair to say Ethiopia does more with less. Their T&F program is better managed and they have ultimate control over their athletes. Kenyan runners listen to their agents more than to their T&F officials.

[Moura]

And they don´t win any of 5/10K events. Really Kenya had an outstanding performance. For me they are the nr 1 in long distance events. Ethiopia has the best atlete in both sex but in depth I think Kenya is the best. One significative difference between Kenya and Ethiopia is in 800/1500m events both sex.

Could you say that Bekele and Dibaba/Defar have made 5000/10000 their event, and many potentially great Kenyans have moved up to the marathon or down to 1500 meters/steeplechase?

Wanjiru ran 26:45 as an 18 year old. Could he challenge Bekele's WR if he trained for the 10K? Even if he did, wouldn't Bekele still outkick him in championship races?

No, I don´t think kenyans move up for 5K/10K due to Bekele/Dibaba/Defar. Kipchoge is a good example on that, long time ago he ran against Bekele. We having now the Bekele cycle but as any cycle it will have an end and we don´t know if you will face any cycle from anyone or an open event with different winners (I hope would be this in any event). Ethiopians are getting gold in 5K/10K events but things can change at short term and kenyans are well placed for that.

[lapsus]

And they don´t win any of 5/10K events. Really Kenya had an outstanding performance. For me they are the nr 1 in long distance events. Ethiopia has the best atlete in both sex but in depth I think Kenya is the best. One significative difference between Kenya and Ethiopia is in 800/1500m events both sex.

Could you say that Bekele and Dibaba/Defar have made 5000/10000 their event, and many potentially great Kenyans have moved up to the marathon or down to 1500 meters/steeplechase?

Wanjiru ran 26:45 as an 18 year old. Could he challenge Bekele's WR if he trained for the 10K? Even if he did, wouldn't Bekele still outkick him in championship races?

[croflash]

And they don´t win any of 5/10K events. Really Kenya had an outstanding performance. For me they are the nr 1 in long distance events. Ethiopia has the best atlete in both sex but in depth I think Kenya is the best. One significative difference between Kenya and Ethiopia is in 800/1500m events both sex.

While I agree that Kenya has the most depth, it's hard for me to put them at the top since they have won only one of the six long-distance races. At the end of the day when it comes to the best nation, winning is all that matters, at least when one nation or rather two athletes from one nation have dominated long-distance running this year and during the Olympics.

[Moura]

And they don´t win any of 5/10K events. Really Kenya had an outstanding performance. For me they are the nr 1 in long distance events. Ethiopia has the best atlete in both sex but in depth I think Kenya is the best. One significative difference between Kenya and Ethiopia is in 800/1500m events both sex.

[Mellow Johnny]

I was thinking the same thing. Kenya (14 medals) actually had a better Olympics than Jamaica (11 medals). And despite Jamaica's success, the US was still the best sprint/hurdle nation (17 medals) at the games. It's the performance of American distance runners (1 medal) that really deserves Doug Logan's attention.

And I didn't realize that 5 golds is the most ever for Kenya...

[jazzcyclist]

I was thinking the same thing. Kenya (14 medals) actually had a better Olympics than Jamaica (11 medals). And despite Jamaica's success, the US was still the best sprint/hurdle nation (17 medals) at the games. It's the performance of American distance runners (1 medal) that really deserves Doug Logan's attention.

[Mellow Johnny]

A lot of talk of Jamaica's performance obviously but Kenya also had a great overall performance in these games.

800- 2 golds, a silver, and a bronze- Bungei gets the monkey off his back while Jelimo and Jepkosgei dominate as expected

1500- 1 gold and 1 silver- Nancy Lagat one of the big surprises of the games- Kiprop ran well and Kenya was hoping for gold there but no shame in losing to Ramzi

Steeple- 1 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze- Kenya obviously looking for the sweep on the men's side but Kemboi just didn't have it and Jepkorir breaks up the Russian sweep

5000- 1 silver, 1 bronze- probably the most disappointing event for them- Bek is the king and the Kenyan women at 4th and 5th just couldn't break into the medals

10,000- 1 bronze- not a strong performance but they weren't supposed to do much this year

Marathon- 1 gold,1 silver- highlight of the games for Kenya I would think finally getting that elusive marathon gold