The opening session of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, didn’t go exactly as planned, with Kenya’s lone competitor Samuel Gathimba missing out on a medal in the men’s 20km walk.
Gathimba, who finished fourth in Eugene last year came home a disappointing ninth clocking a season’s best time of 1:18.34.
The race was delayed by almost an hour and a half due to storms in the Hungarian capital, and the weather didn’t prove friendly for the Kenyan who struggled in the later stages of the race.
Spaniard Alvaro Martin clinched gold with a powered finish in the final 5km, timing 1:17.32 while Swede Perseus Karlstrom earned silver in a National Record of 1:17.39.
Brazilian Caio Bonfim also returned a national record with his third place finish, timing 1:17.47.
Gathimba had seemed to hold down well within the chasing pack for most of the race, but lost out gas in the latter stages, and couldn’t keep up with the slippery conditions, which hindered his movement.
Meanwhile, the Kenyan mixed relay team of Zablon Ekwam, Millicent Ndoro, Wycliffe Kinyamal and Mercy Oketch failed to make the final after finishing seventh in their opening heat.
