NAIROBI - Sitting in the locker room, Paul Ochuka should have been thrilled - he had just qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics by winning the 100 meter dash at the Kenyan Olympic Trials. But all he says he felt was shame and embarrassment thanks to repeated, spirit-crushing teasing by Kenya's contingent of elite distance runners.
"When I got back to my locker, there was a note attached to it," Ochuka said. "I was hoping it was going to be a congratulatory note, but I should have known better. It simply said "Way to run a whole 100 meters, pussy.' It was unsigned, but I have a good idea about who did it."
Ochuka said that the constant teasing and hazing have only heightened a gnawing feeling of what he calls "inadequacy" over the relative short distances he runs versus the long distances that Kenya's more famous track athletes run.
"Everyone says 'Oh, why should we care if you can run 100 meters in 10 seconds - try running for 10,000 meters and then we can talk'," he said. "No one cares about being The Fastest Man in Kenya, just The Man in Kenya Who Can Run a Very Long Distance the Fastest."
Ochuka added that Kenyan track and field officials have not helped the cause, giving little priority to sprint races. For example, the finals of the 100 meter dash at the Olympic Trials were held in between laps of the 5,000 meter quarterfinals, with sprinters asked to come onto the front stretch, run, and head back to pick up their starting blocks before the distance runners finished their lap.
Kenyan Track & Field Federation president Martin Oboye refused to comment, since he "could not believe" that Kenya actually had sprinters.
Despite the lack of support from other track athletes and fans in Kenya, Ochuka said he was proud to be able to represent his country in the Olympics by marching into Beijing's Olympic stadium with his fellow athletes.
"Unless they do what they did at the African Games," he said, referring to the prank where the team parked their bus 10 miles away from the stadium and ran there. "I'm not running that far again - this time I'll take the bus or something."
