The 2021 World Under 20 3000m champion Teresiah Gateri admits she will need more time to adapt to the women’s 5000m in her continuing transition to the senior ranks.
The 21-year-old said there are areas she must work on before she can starting making regular podium finishes in the 12-and-a-half lap race.
“It is quite hard but I am soldiering on…I am used to running in the 3000m but now this is the 5000m. Things are quite different. This race requires good stamina and speed and these are things that I need to work on,” Gateri said.
She added: “The distance (number of laps) has increased and so it takes times to adapt to that both mentally and physically. For now, the lack of experience has been a challenge as well.”
The Japanese-based athlete was in action at the Silesia Diamond League on Sunday evening where she clocked 8:29.48 to finish fourth in the women’s 3000m — her specialty.
The race came almost a week after she clocked 16:06.07 to finish a disappointing ninth in the women’s 5000m during the national trials for the World Championships at Nyayo Stadium.
The result saw her miss out on a place to the team to the global event, slated for next month in Budapest, Hungary.
“I know I would have performed well in Budapest had I been taken because there is still time until the World Championships. I would have loved it were I to be selected,” she said.
Gateri added: “When it comes to the 3000m, I am always guaranteed to perform quite well but the distance is a bit longer in the 5000m. So, I need to work on my endurance, foremost, so I can hack it in this race.”
Gateri has been training at her Kenyan base in Nyahururu for the past one month.
