Kenya's Hellen Obiri celebrates winning the Women's 5000m final at the 2019 IAAF Athletics World Championships at the Khalifa International stadium in Doha on October 5, 2019. AFP / Jewel Samad
Hellen Obiri was low on confidence on the eve of the 5000m event at the IAAF World Championships but it was the coach and manager who lifted her spirits which assisted in winning the event.
“I think I was a little disappointed with the 10k. It was not my best race,” said the Kenyan, after wining gold in the 5,000m event at the Khalifa Stadium on Saturday.
Obiri said she spoke to her coaching staff and they had some encouraging words which changed the situation mentally for her.
“I didn’t do well in the 10k so I talked to my manager and my coach. They told me that 10k is not my race. That I should go for the 5k and I would get the medal. I knew this would make me happy.
“I also talked to my physio about my recovery and he said to do the 5k and then go back home and get ready for the 2020 Olympics. I am so happy I was able to win my race.”
Obiri, who finished fifth in the 10,000m, said she wanted to fight back and finish on the podium.
“I decided to work hard to retain my title and I’ve done exactly what I wanted to do. I’m so happy about today’s race.”
Obiri face a few initial hiccups with German Konstanze Klosterhalfen shadowing her.
“I wanted to run a faster race because in a slow race anybody can win. I could see the German athlete was here and she is s 1500m runner, so I decided to go hard and to do the last lap in 60 (seconds). If I had gone at a slow pace, I thought she might be able to win. It was a tough pace for me.”
Margaret Kipkemboi took silver to complete the Kenyan 1-2 in the event and she said Obiri is her favourite athlete.
“Hellen is my favourite Kenyan and she has just won the World Championships. I was feeling comfortable so it was my strategy to follow her.”
Meanwhile, Klosterhalfen, who has been under a cloud of suspicion, was happy to take the bronze medal.
“My coach told me that I could finish strongly. I knew about the strong competitors. They told me to stay calm and not to go too early. I’m really happy that I could do this and take a medal home.”
“I didn’t think about my finishing place until the finish line. I just gave everything until the end, but I felt my legs going on the last 100m. But I concentrated on the finish and was really happy I could get third place,” she added.
