Mud is "okay" for Kenyans
Mark Butler for IAAF
24 March 2001 - Dan Muchoki, Head Coach with the Kenyan team in Ostend, has dispelled the myth that Kenyan and African runners will be unhappy with the muddy conditions here. "There's nothing to complain about," he explained, "because the conditions are god's work. They were caused by rain, not someone who came with a watering can. The conditions are bad for everyone, not for any particular country. For me it is okay."
Muchoki feels that be best tactic on this course will be to run from the front. "I have gone over the course." he revealed, "and there are some areas where it will be a problem to overtake. You will need to start fast and be very strong in the mud, there are areas almost one feet deep. It's best to get in front at the start and control the pace."
Happily, it appears that there are none of the problems which beset the Kenyan men's team in Vilamoura when there was a protracted argument over the final selection for the men's long race. "It would call it a bit of confusion about the wildcard issue," reflected Muchoki. "To outsiders it was a war between the athletes and the federation, but it wasn't like that."
