Video: Kenyan javelin athlete plants Olympic seeds in Potch
Alexander Kiprotich hopes to follow in the footsteps of another Kenyan athlete, Julius Yego, who won an Olympic medal in 2016.
Kenyan javelin athlete, Alexander Kiprotich, is currently training in the North West ahead in preparation for All Africa
Games in Ghana from 8-23 March 2024.
Kiprotich is currently training in Potchefstroom and Klerksdorp under ACNW javelin coach, Erich Wiese.
See the video here:
The Herald spoke to Wiese and Kiprotich during a ACNW league event at the NWU McArthur Athletics stadium last week, to gain more insight into his visit to South
Africa.
“I’ve known him for a while since 2013 and we got into contact again. It is a real fantastic opportunity to work with a top athlete,” states Wiese.
The main aim for Wiese is to ensure that Kiprotich gains the tools required in order to continue training on his own in Kenya when he departs on 14 February.
“The facilities are there in Kenya, but there are no decent coaches. He needs to improve on his power and this is something we will work on in the next week,” explains
Wiese.
Kiprotich has also received coaching from sprinting and hurdles coach, Jacques van Staden (KHS) that focused on improving his leg speed and rhythm. Monique van Niekerk assists Kiprotich as biokineticist.
The aim for Kiprotich will be to qualify for the Africa Games and then the Olympics, which takes place in Paris, France from 26 July – 11 August.
He won the gold medal at the 2013 African Junior Championships, as well as
silver and bronze at African Championships in the past decade.
Kiprotich has a personal best of 78.84 metres and will look to break the 80 metre mark ahead of the Olympic Games.
