Gathimba wins Kenya's first medal at World Walking Race championships

Three-time 20km African walking race champion is now a World bronze medalist! Samuel Gathimba, who anchored the Kenyan team as they made their debut at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships Muscat 22 withstood stiff competition to finish third and deliver the country's first ever medal at the event. 

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Gathimba, a master planner made sure the leading pack was never too far off as he crossed the first kilometre in the top ten at 4:10 two seconds off the leader. 

By the third kilometre, Gathimba was toe to toe with Kenya Defence Forces' Simon Wachira 22nd and 23rd clocking 12:50, just three seconds off Australia's Kyle Swan who was in the lead. 

At the 5km mark, the two were still stick together and just a few steps off the lead, now taken by the eventual winner, Japan's Toshikazu Yamanishi. 

But the halfway mark, Wachira had fallen off, Gathimba left to do his bidding on his own as he was part of a chasing pack that made the 10km walk in 42:27 as Yamanishi maintained his lead clocking 41:59 at the mark. 

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The Kenyan picked up his pace and slowly overtook his challengers to move to sixth after 11km and in the top four at 12km which he completed in 50:51 behind Yamanishi, Koki Ikeda and Ecuador's Brian Pintado. 

At the 16km mark, Gathimba was still fourth but Australian Declan Tingay had moved to third as the Ecuadorian dropped down to seventh. 

Tingay sensed Ikeda was struggling and upped his effort. Unfortunately for the man who was 17th at the Olympics and then scored a PB of 1:20:44 in February, he also caught the judges’ attention. 

He was to serve a two-minute penalty less than 100m from the finish, but had already been passed by Gathimba, who claimed Kenya’s first ever medal at these championships in 1:23:52.

Known for his dancing celebration, Gathimba had a different celebration for his massive achievement as he, instead, raised his arms to heaven and then beat them in excitement on the tarmac having sunk to his knees in gratitude.

Wachira placed 33rd in 1:30.17 while the third Kenyan competitors 2017 World Under-18 bronze medalist Dominic Ndigiti finished in 43rd to help Kenya finish seventh in the men's 20km category.