…Forde, Josiah-Tanner seeking back-to-back wins

By Michael DaSilva
Guyana’s Cleveland `The Little Kenyan’ Forde and Euleen Josiah-Tanner will be seeking to register back-to-back victories in the male and female categories respectively of the second leg of the South American 10K road race which runs off this afternoon from 15:00 hrs from outside the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company’s Earth Station, Carifesta Avenue.The two locals won their respective categories when the first leg of the three-stage event was held in Suriname one week ago.
As an added bonus to the top three prize monies, for both the male and female categories, genuine gold medals will be up for grabs.
The Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG) in a release late yesterday did not state who will be sponsoring the gold or how much the weight of the gold would be.
Forde who seems to be in tremendous form at the moment, won last Sunday’s first leg in Suriname in a time of 31 minutes 54 seconds (31:54), while Tanner’s winning time was 39:43.
Forde who had a three-and-one-half years’ training stint at the Kip Keno High Altitude Training Centre in Kenya will have as his main rival Kennette Rotich, a born and bred Kenyan athlete who has been residing in Trinidad and Tobago for the past two months and whose request to be a part of today’s stage of the race was accepted by the Athletic Association of Guyana.
Tanner’s main challenge will come from Trinidad and Tobago’s Tonya Nero who defeated her (Tanner) on these very shores last year when the first stage was held here.
Nero also has several victories over Tanner over the past few years – at the Caribbean level.
Both Rotich and Nero were not a part of last Sunday’s first leg in Suriname.
Over the past few days, local athletes and coaches have voiced their opinion about Rotich being a part of the event since he is not a South American or Caribbean citizen, and had planned a protest against his participation in the event.
However, Athletic Association of Guyana’s (AAG) president Aubrey Hutson said the race will go on regardless of protest by athletes, fans or sporting enthusiasts.
Contacted for a comment on Friday, Forde said while it is true that a protest is planned, he will be a part of today’s activity and he fully knows that Rotich will be his main rival, but he (Forde) feels he can upstage the Kenyan.
“Regardless of the protest, I’ll go ahead with the races…I need competition to up my standard and move on to greater heights,” Forde stated.
Apart from Forde and Ritoch, keen competition is also expected from Jamaican Richard Green and Forde’s countryman Cleveland Thomas who placed second and third respectively in last Sunday’s first stage of the 10K race.
Josiah-Tanner and Nero will also have to be wary of Guyana’s Andrea Fortune who placed second to Tanner in the first leg of the event one week ago.
After leaving the earth Station at 15:00 hrs today, the athletes will run up the East Coast carriageway to Turkeyen before turning back to finish in the National Park.
The winner in both the male and female categories will pocket US$1000, while the second and third place runners will receive US$800 and US$500 respectively. But the first male and female Guyanese to cross the finish line will earn an additional US$500.
A total of 72 athletes will vie for genuine eighth pennyweight gold medals along a first place prize of US$1000.
The race will feature athletes from Peru, one of which is a born Kenyan as well as athletes from Suriname, Grenada and Trinidad. A Trinidad based Kenyan is also expected to be a part of the Trinidadian contingent.
Hudson noted yesterday that, “all systems are in place as the route has already been demarcated”.
Technical delegate from Trinidad Allan Babolall highlighted that he was pleased with the route and expects brilliant competition come race day.
Meanwhile, some of the foreign athletes expressed confidence in themselves to win the event.
Ilsida Tomere of Suriname noted that she has prepared well along with her colleagues as they aim to perform at their best. Tomere is also an Inter Guiana Games (IGG) gold medalist.
Boaz Lorupe of Peru also noted his confidence to come out victorious as they aim to go fast against their Guyanese counterparts.