Lokedi stars in 10000m Olympics pre-trial

US-based long distance athlete Sharon Lokedi starred at the ongoing Athletics Kenya Olympics pre-trials on Friday morning, dominating in the women's 10,000m final to win in 31:43.34. 

She is hoping to be among the stars to watch when the country stages national trials for Tokyo Games from June 17-19 at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani. 

Lokedi beat Lomotit Athletics camp star Sandra Felis to first place as she finished second in 31:47.29 while Nancy Jelegat settles for third place in 31:49.93. Vane Nyaboke (31:50.50), Pauline Korikwang (31:54.50) and Caroline Nyaga (31:55.45) completed the top six list. 

The 27-year-old who has already attained Olympics qualification time says she was using this race to test her body, having trained in Kenya since March, as she hopes to make the Kenyan team to the Summer Games.

"The race was very tactical from the beginning but I had just come in to have a feel of how it feels like to race again. I was relaxed the entire time and with a mile to go when you feel the same you just pick your pace and go and that's what I did," 

"This is the longest I have been in Kenya since I went to the USA for studies. Since March I have been training well in Kaptagat hoping to make to the team next month. Training in Kenya has been good for me. I am happy all the time, enjoying the altitude, having family around and I don't have to worry about so I am focused on nothing else other than my training," said Lokedi.

The Kapkenda Girls’ School alumnus moved to the US in 2015, joining Kansas University, after completing her high school. She had started training at a camp in Kaptagat, hoping to land a scholarship to the US. That was where Kansas distance coach Michael Whittlesey found her on one of his recruiting trips to Kenya.

As a freshman at Kansas, two years after she had finished school at Kapkenda, Lokedi was an All-American, with a 10th-place finish in the six-kilometer race at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. She went on to win the NCAA women's division one 10,000m race in 2018. She has been a 10-time All-American and 12-time Big 12 champion. 

"After graduating in 2018 I got a contract with a group that is training in Arizona, so I training and do some part time job. I took time off school just to give this a shot but I intend to go back and study. Most of my teammates in the US have qualified for the Olympics and I hope yo do the same here. It will he an honour to represent the country at the Games," she added.