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Ochichi Happy With Silver

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Published on Tuesday, 03 July 2007 05:46
sabella Ochichi gave Kenya its second silver medal at the Olympics, finishing behind Ethiopian Meserat Defar in Monday's women's 5,000m final.The 25-year-old policewoman added to marathoner Catherine Ndereba's medal, claimed on Sunday, and said she was thrilled she had brought honour to her country and was looking forward to coming home with her medal.

Ochichi, who clocked 14 minutes, 48.19 seconds, said Defar had repeatedly stepped on her toes but she refused to be diverted from her course. She warned the Ethiopian to refrain from her actions twice and it was shortly after this that Defar broke away from Ochichi to claim gold in 14.45.65.Ochichi said she and the other Kenyan in the final, Edith Masai, had planned to stay close to the Ethiopians and was surprised that nobody wanted to break away in the first two laps as the runners sized up each other.

The silver medallist said she chose to make her break with three laps to go, believing she had the strength and pace to leave the other runners behind. But Defar doggedly hung onto her shoulder until midway into the last lap when she moved ahead.Ochichi said she felt her strength ebbing away, while Defar enjoyed the advantage of riding on her slip stream. The Kenyan dedicated the medal to her husband David Maina.

Another Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba won the bronze medal, timing 14.51.83. Masai pulled out of the race with three laps to go.Born in Keroka Kisii in 1979, Ochichi started running professionally eight years ago.Her personal best time of 14 minutes, 46.2 secs was set when she won the recent Hengelo meeting. This was a marked improvement from a sixth place finish at last year's world championships in Paris. She finished second behind Jane Wanjiku at the Kenyan trials, timing 15 min 21.17 secs.The 32-year-old Edith Masai has won the world cross country chamionships title three years back to back since 2002. At the world championships, he won a bronze.

The senior sergeant at Kenya Prisons works with Sunday's Olympic silver medalist Catherine Ndereba and Margaret Okayo.Okayo, the London Marathon champion, injured a tendon in the first quarter of the hilly course which was run under intense heat.