NAIROBI, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) -- Former world champion Charles Kamathi fears Kenya's poor performances over the 10,000 meters distance will continue for years if the country doesn't change its approach.
Kamathi, whose unprecedented victory against the legendary Haile Gebrselassie in Edmonton, Canada in 2001 marked the last win for Kenya in the ultimate track distance at the World Championships, says the country will fail again in Doha, Qatar because of poor planning and training tactics.
"We are all good in pacing in both 5,000m and 10,000m, but we wilt in the last lap, letting Ethiopians, who do sprints and a lot of hill work, win," Kamathi said.
"It is down to failure by Kenyan athletes to train for short sprints of 300m, 200m and 100m. That must change," he added.
Kenya did not secure any podium position in the event at the African Games, which concluded last week in Rabat, Morocco.
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games bronze medalist Edwin Soi was the best-placed Kenyan in the event, finishing fourth behind a clean Ethiopian sweep of the medals.
It extended Kenya's wait for a winner in the men's 10,000m event at the African Games, with the last success coming in 1995, when Josphat Machuka claimed the 5,000m and 10,000m titles.
"We have talked about falling into our enemies' hands through pacemaking and falling in our kick, but we haven't addressed them accordingly," said Kamathi.
Kenya has since selected world junior champion Rhonex Kipruto, Rodgers Kwemoi and Alex Oleitiptip to lead the assault for medals in Doha, when the world championships start from Sept. 28 to Oct. 6.
Even Kamathi's World Championship-winning performance in Edmonton came 10 years after Moses Tanui achieved the feat in Tokyo, and a further four years after Paul Kipkoech did so in Rome.
Tanui has also expressed fear that the drought will continue.
"We only come in during the events to see who is running where when we don't know what these athletes are going through," Tanui told reporters in Nairobi. "You can't leave your tea plant to grow into a bush and expect yields."
