Why Kinyamal won’t dare attempt Rudisha’s record just yet

Being a Commonwealth 800 metres champion, a race dominated by your kinsman, it should not be difficult to meet your mentor, isn’t it?

However, this is not the case for 20-year- old Gold Coast champion Wycliffe Kinyamal, who won gold in the middle distance race at his first attempt at the senior category.

Born in Trans Mara, Narok County, Kinyamal made his first impact regionally at the 2016 East African Junior Athletics Championships, winning the 800m race. He placed third at the Kenyan World Junior trials later that year, thus was not picked for the national team.

With this rather modest feat, his goal is to now meet the man he calls “the champion and role model”, David Lekuta Rudisha, the 800m record holder and Olympic champion. Rudisha was born in Kilgoris, Narok County only a few kilometres away Kinyamal’s home.

“From the time of circumcision, which they led us, I only dreamed of meeting Rudisha, but so far I’m yet to,” said the youngster.

Asked whether he would attempt Rudisha’s world record, he said: “I respect him so much and I’m praying to God to help me meet him. I first want advice from him; I even don’t know what I would tell him.

“I can’t even attempt the record he is a senior to me, let me first meet him.

As he prepares to take part in the second round of the 2018 Diamond League in Shanghai, China, the 20 year- old who had initially focused on high jump alone and only took up running once he had completed his high school education at Mogonga Secondary School, says he currently gets motivation from training mates, Olympic marathon champion Eliud kipchoge and three-time World Half-Marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor.

“I feels good to be amongst the champions, am going to Shanghai to improve my speed but not for winning it is still early in the season.”