Ruth Bosibori leading the pack at the National Championships.PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya.
NAIROBI, Kenya, May 31 – Despite not making the team for Kenya’s Africa Championship squad, 2007 All Africa Games champion Ruth Bosibori has not lost hope and will be out to try her luck at the Rio Trials that begin June 30.
Bosibori, a 3000m steeplechase runner finished in a disappointing eighth place at the National Championships despite cruising to victory in the Heats, where she clocked 9:44.5 which is inside the 9:45.00 Rio Olympic Games entry standards.
The 28-year-old, who last competed for Kenya at the 2009 IAAF World Athletics, where she clinched gold, is yearning to represent her country at the Summer Games and is hoping Athletics Kenya will invite her for the two-day Trials.
“I am disappointed that I didn’t make the team for the Africa Championships despite preparing well for it. I was fit for the race and after winning the Heats, I was confident to finish in the podium but I was tripped after jumping the barrier. That made it difficult for me to catch up with the rest,” Bosibori told Capital Sport.
Ruth Bosibori leading the pack at the National Championships.PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya.
The 2008 Africa Bronze medallist has swiftly moved on and is now focusing to make things right at the Trials where she is expected to face stiff competition from the likes of world champion Hyvin Kiyeng and Lydia Rotich.
“I am hoping AK will invite me for the Olympic Trials now that I have the qualifying time. We only have three weeks of preparing. I will work on my speed and techniques of clearing the barriers,” Bosibori, who finished sixth at the 2008 Beijing World Championships stated.
“Trials will be tough since most of the athletes are in top form but you never know what will happen on that day, for me is just to give my all and hope things fall into place because it has been seven years now without competing for the national team,” she affirmed.
Bosibori had warmed up for the National Championships with a win at the Athletics Kenya Eldoret meet where she returned 9:58.8.
2007 All Africa Games Ruth Bosibori while competing at the National Championships.PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya.
Kenya has never won Olympic gold medal in the women’s 3000m steeplechase since the race was introduced at the 2008 Games in Beijing.
Since then, Russia has dominated the race with Gulnara Samitova winning the inaugural ahead of Kenya’s Eunice Jepkorir before convicted drug cheat Yuliya Zaripova won it at the London 2012 games.
