TOKYO, Japan, Aug 1 – Having already taken an impressive scalp in the men’s 800m semis at the Olympic Games in Tokyo, seasoned Kenyan middle distance runner Ferguson Rotich is overly excited after clinching a slot in the final in impressive fashion.
Rotich couldn’t hide his joy when he fulfilled his Tokyo Olympics dream more so on topping his semi-final heat.
“It’s coming home,” Rotich said of his intended 800m gold rush ahead of Friday’s final where he lines up alongside compatriot Emmanuel Korir at the Olympic Stadium here in Tokyo.
“What I want is what Kenyans want me to do, so I will try my best to ensure I have racked up the gold medal.”
When he was asked whether he had ever been in better shape going into major championships the response was emphatic. “No, never,” he insisted, adding: “When you are in good shape things tend to work out well. Today’s race was good. My expectations of running in the finals are finally here and I thank God for helping me reach this target. Now I think I am in superb shape. Whatever came my way I was ready and from the look of things, my heat was very strong.”
“Everyone looked capable of making it from the final- a sneak preview of what to expect on Friday.”
“When I was in the call room I remember telling them (my competitors) good luck guys, so I knew it was going to be a tough one, thanks God I managed.”
And asked to predict the outcome of the much anticipated final, Rotich went on: “You know any qualifier to the final is tough so I have to be mentally smart and be strong enough to fight for the medal.”
