By OUR CORRESPONDENT
Para cyclist Kennedy Ogada and pilot Oscar Dennis leave Paris Paralympics with their chins up despite failing to finish their Road Race B1 on Friday at Clichy Sous-Bois.
The pair, who had finished 11th at the Time Trial on Wednesday, bowed out of the race after six laps due to exhaustion after they had stopped on some occasion to fix the bike.
They had covered 85.2km of the scheduled 128km competition in two hours, 33 minutes and 02 seconds.
Ogada, who is visually impaired, and Dennis ended up being ranked 10th.
Tristan Bangma from the Netherlands was crowned new champion after he dethroned fellow countryman Vincent Schure off the Paralympics title, conquering the tough course in 2:55:10.
It was sweet revenge for the 26-year-old Bangma, who had on Wednesday also won Time Trial piloted by Patrick Boss.
Bangma had settled for silver at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics where Schure sealed a double after his previous victory at the 2016 Rio.
Schure, scooped bronze in Time Trial, had to contend with a silver medal this time around, finishing two seconds off the pace with his pilot Timo Fransen.
Home cyclist Alexandre Lloveras took bronze in 2:55:18.
“The results could have been different if we had synchronised well with Dennis,” said Ogada, who praised the former Kenya Sevens star, who stepped in a week ago to replace his other injured pilot Benson Mwaniki.
“We leave Paris quite satisfied, having made history for our country and Africa,” said Ogada, who was the only African to have qualified in both Time Trial and individual road race in B1.
Ogada, who is the Africa B1 champion, said he is inspired to keep on working hard and make it to the 2026 Commonwealth Games and 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“That was a great effort from Dennis and I thank him for helping me create history here. We only had a week but managed to finish the Time Trial and six laps in the road event,” said the 52-year-old Ogada, who was making his debut at the Games.
Dennis, who was cheered by her mother Samantha, sister Sienna and cousins Sofi and Rob on the sideline, said he is glad to have assisted Ogada make history.
“It’s quite incredible how Ogada is performing at a high level at his age. He will definitely make it to 2028 LA with continued good training,” said Dennis, adding that he shifts his focus to Para-cycling and triathlon.
Dennis said that it’s unfortunate that exhaustion took better of them but being at the Paralympics are moments that no one can take away from them.
“We had no energy left in our legs but we did our best for the country. I will always be ready to fly Kenya’s flag anywhere when called upon,” said Dennis, who was forced to hang his rugby boots following a road accident in November 2020, which left his right leg shattered.
Dennis said he will head back to his Stellenbosch base in South Africa to continue training as I wait to be graded in October in Portugal.
Ogada and Dennis were the last Kenyans to compete at the Games that end with the closing ceremony at Stade de France on Sunday.
Kenya that won only one medal, silver, was represented by 14 athletes and nine guides in five disciplines- athletics, rowing, taekwondo, cycling and powerlifting.
Samson Ojuka, who has a deformed right hand, won the country the medal in long jump T37.
