Meyan bags silver at Japan's Continental Tour

Kenyan runner Cleophas Kandie Meyan ran 13:29.33 in a sprint finish to clinch silver in 5000m at the ongoing World Athletics Continental Tour-Gold in Japan, behind home runner Takashi Ichida who clocked 13:27.73 for a personal best(PB). 

Japan's Akira Aizawa completed the podium finish in 13:29.47 a PB too in the race that saw five of the 13 finishers register PB's. Kenya's long distance runner Bedan Karoki who has been in Japan for the last 15 years came a distant sixth in 13:31.47 which is a season best. 

Meyan, a silver medalist at the World Under-18 Athletics Championship in the 2000m steeplechase, who competes in 2000 m steeplechase, 3000 m steeplechase, 5000 m, cross junior and cross team event junior has also won bronze at the men's cross team event at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships. 

The-20 year old's second place finish at the Japan event dubbed 'Ready Steady Tokyo' is his best placing in a major event since his exploits at the World Under-18 event in Nairobi. 

Meanwhile, Karoki a three time national cross country champion, a sillver medalist at the 2015 IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the 2016 World Half Marathon Championships who also has won silver at the Africa Games was hoping to make Kenya's marathon team to the Olympics but with that chance gone, he has shifted his focus to qualifying for the 10,000m race. His PB in the 10000m stands at 26:52.12, achieved in 2017. 

As the Continental Tour takes place in Japan, at a time when locals are calling for the cancellation of the Games due to the surge in Covid-19 positive cases. During a test Marathon event that was attended by World Athletics boss Sebastian Coe, protests were held. Similar protests had been planned during the Continental Tour event. 

One of Japan's most influential political leaders, last month, had to walk back comments he had made about canceling the Tokyo Olympics if the pandemic cannot be brought under control. The damage had already been done, however, and the comments by Toshihiro Nikai, secretary general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, indicate that discussions are taking place behind the scenes for a potential course of action should a worst-case scenario come to pass.

"If it seems impossible to go on with the games, they must definitely be canceled," Nikai said in an interview with Japan's TBS television station. "If there is a surge in infections because of the Olympics, there will be no meaning to having the Olympics."