Another Kenyan wonder

Pamela Jelimo took charge of the 800 metres discipline just four months ago. But since then, the 18-year-old Kenyan has been so dominant that winning a gold at Beijing has become a mere formality

NAIROBI: Kenyan teenager Pamela Jelimo is a warm favourite to complete her astonishing rise by claiming Olympic 800 metres gold in Beijing.

The 18-year-old, a sprinter in her school days, only took up the two-lap charge four months ago and has never looked back, breaking national and world junior records as well as staying on course to win the $1 million Golden League jackpot.  Jelimo ran the fastest 800m for nearly 11 years in Berlin in June — it was only her fourth race over the distance — and she has since bettered her time with a majestic run of one minute 54.97 seconds in Paris a month later. 

Throw in further victories in Rome and Oslo in the Golden League series and Jelimo, whose time has only been bettered by Russia’s Yelena Soboleva this year, looks a near certainty for gold. “It is not a question of who will or will not stop Jelimo because that creates bad blood among runners,” she said.

“I tested my strength in Rome and Paris. I think I am fine and only waiting for Beijing. I returned home to train in my country with my compatriots so that we can plan together. So far so good.”

Despite her progress in such a short space of time, her modesty is striking. “I started running in my home district (secondary) school of Koyo in Nandi South district. But I never went beyond district level,” she said. “But after finishing school in 2006, I had enough time last year and prepared well, hence where I am now.”

Jelimo was urged to ditch the shorter sprint events and take on the 800m and she ran 2:01.02 at the African Championships trials in Nairobi in April. A national junior record followed at the African Championships in Addis Ababa two weeks later. She broke the world junior record in Hengelo, Netherlands in May when she ran 1:55.76 and her progress is such that even Jarmila Kratochvilova’s 25-year-old world record of 1:53.28 looks within striking distance.

“Time will tell. There is always room for improvement and that will come to pass. I am now focusing on the Olympics.”