NAIROBI, Kenya, November 3 – Kenya’s Kamar Etiang is hoping for a change of fortunes in the coming season even as he plans to double in the men’s 1500m and 5000m.
Etiang has been struggling with an injury curse in the past season but says he is now fit as never before.
“I have been struggling with an injury for most of the season and this has hampered me from performing well. But, now I am back and looking forward to the coming season. This time, I want to double in the 1500m and 5000m,” the 22-year-old said.
It has been a forgettable season for Etiang in which he has struggled to make the podium in the competitions he has featured.
His bid for Olympics took a nosedive when he finished 10th in the men’s 1500m in the national trials at Nyayo Stadium in June.
At the Kip Keino Classic, he finished sixth after clocking 3:39.05.
The 2023 Montreuil International 1500m champion is, however, keen to let go of the disappointment and forge forward to the next season, which will be equally laden with competitive opportunities.
Etiang said his decision to double is in line with the changing trends of world athletics.
“Running in the men’s 5000m will help me become a better runner in the 1500m. I have seen the likes of Jakob Ingebrigsten (Olympic champion) who usually competes in the men’s 5000m as well as 1500m and is enjoying success in both. This has become the norm and I want to follow suit,” he said.
His buildup to the track and field season continued impressively with a second-place finish in the men’s 2km loop at the third leg of the Athletics Kenya (AK) Cross Country Series in Iten on Saturday.
Etiang clocked 05:51.0, behind winner, Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who stopped the timer at 05:50.6.
Youngster Phanuel Koech clocked 05:54.3 to finish in third.
Having finished sixth in the same race at the last leg in Kapsokwony, Etiang gave himself a pat on the back for the progress.
“This is my second time running in this series…last time in Kapsokwony I finished sixth and today I have come second. This is an indicator that next season will work out well. I didn’t start off quite well but when I saw that the pace of the race was not fast, I decided to push for the win,” he said.
