The Denied Champions: 5 Kenyan Athletes Who Set Records But Missed Out on Titles
Athletes strive for greatness in the realm of sports, pushing the limits of human potential.
As a result, only a select few have the extraordinary ability to shatter long-standing world records and inspire awe among spectators with their monumental accomplishments.
Nonetheless, in a twist of fate that can dishearten even the most accomplished athletes, some have been denied the crowns they justly deserve.
GossipA2Z examines five athletes who broke records without receiving any awards.
Ferdinand Omanyala
Omanyala, the fastest man in Africa, is no stranger to the spotlight, as he has exceeded expectations in the Men’s 100-meter race, carrying the Kenyan flag high.
African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala poses for a photograph on April 19, 2023, after winning the men’s 100-meter event at the ASA Grand Prix in South Africa.
Before his extraordinary achievements, Athletics Kenya denied him the fastest record despite his having run the fastest time.
In 2021, as a student at the University of Nairobi (UoN), Omanyala participated in the event held at Nyayo Stadium and set a new record of 10.11 seconds, surpassing Mark Otieno’s 2017 record of 10.14 seconds.
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However, the record was invalidated because Athletics Kenya claimed the victory was aided by the wind.
Omanyala set the fastest African record at the Kipkeino Classic with a time of 9.77 seconds.
Eliud Kipchoge
Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge was the first athlete to complete a marathon in under two hours in Vienna, Austria in 2019 (1 hour, 59 minutes, and 40 seconds). Kipchoge ran under the moniker no human is limited.
His record did not enter the record books, however, because it was not an open competition but rather a competition designed to help Kipchoge break the two-hour record.
This required the participation of 42 pacemakers who raced alongside him alongside a vehicle that projected the correct position on the track using a laser.
Bernard Barmasai
Bernard Barmasai could have won Ksh118 million in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 1999 Weltklasse Golden Meeting in Zurich, Switzerland, if not for a mistake that led to his disqualification.
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Barmasai was one victory away from amassing millions after winning gold in four of five Golden League contests.
Throughout the race, he ran alongside Christopher Koskei, who was hot on his heels.
During the final lap of the race, Koskei increased his speed and was close to passing Barmasai when the latter whispered the Kalenjin word “Metowo” which means “leave it to me” in English or “Niachie” in Kiswahili.
After a brief conversation between Koskei and Barmasai, Koskei slowed down for Barmasai, who crossed the finish line in a record time, with Koskei coming in second.
After conducting exhaustive investigations, the IAAF disqualified Barmasai for race fixing after detecting suspicious activity. Consequently, he lost the entire prize money.
Elijah Mwangangi Saolo and Luke Kibet
Despite winning first place in the United States of America (USA), the two Kenyan athletes were unable to collect the Ksh331,200 cash prize.
As they neared the finish line, the pair erred by following the volunteer guide off the designated path.
This led to their disqualification, despite the fact that Mwangangi won gold and Kibet placed second.
He had hoped to save enough money to keep his family in the United States.
A few days later, the race director compensated each participant with Ksh221,000.
The Denied Champions: 5 Kenyan Athletes Who Set Records But Missed Out on Titles
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