00:01Few expected Lillian Odira to be a world champion.
00:05But the underdog stunned the field in Tokyo,
00:08winning the 800-meter gold and breaking a record older than she is.
00:14Now, she's hoping Kenya, the underdog in the race to hold the World Athletics Championships,
00:20can deliver a similarly stunning finish when the championships come to Nairobi in 2029.
00:25As Kenyans, it is a big move.
00:30You know, we've always shown our talent outside other countries.
00:34I think it is the best time now, as Kenyans, to raise on home ground.
00:39We feel what other countries have been feeling.
00:42Nairobi beat London and Rome for the hosting rides,
00:45meaning Kenya will be the first African country to host the Athletics Championships.
00:49For Lillian, who was part of Kenya's bidding delegation, the country was the obvious choice.
00:55We deserved it, according to me.
00:58Because in Kenya, I think we've produced a lot of good athletes,
01:02and we're one of the best when it comes to athletics, not only athletics.
01:07You saw the other time we just hosted, it was Chan, and it was a nice one, it was a
01:12successful one.
01:13And we're hosting AFCON.
01:16Definitely after AFCON, we're hosting the World Champs.
01:18So, I think we have a record.
01:21Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala celebrated the announcement writing,
01:26What a time to be a Kenyan athlete.
01:28Not everyone welcomed the news.
01:30Others raised concerns about the number of Kenyan athletes currently serving doping bands.
01:35Kenya has faced scrutiny in recent years with the number of athletes sanctioned for doping.
01:40Now, supporters of the bid argue those cases should not define a country that has one of the strongest athletics
01:46legacies in the world.
01:48Sports management specialist Wanjiko Mwenda, who I spoke to for DW 77% show, told me those doping figures need
01:56to be put into context.
01:58Kenya has a surplus of talents.
01:59We have so many people that monitoring them, and especially individual games or individual sports like athletics,
02:07sometimes it becomes a problem.
02:08So, all of these people, because they can't all represent the country in competition, they were not monitored, they were
02:15not followed up, they end up into doping.
02:17And as a result, every time the athletics integrity unit releases a list of dopers, there's a likelihood that there
02:25will be a Kenyan in that list.
02:26In recent years, Kenyan authorities have increased investment in anti-doping programs in a bid to address the issue.
02:34But hosting a world championship takes more than sporting pedigree.
02:38The main stadium, Kasarani, is currently under construction and critics, including some lawmakers, have questioned whether venues, transport networks and
02:47accommodation for thousands of visitors will be ready on schedule.
02:52The government says the country will be ready.
02:54Despite the event being years away, excitement is already growing.
02:58Athletics is Kenya's second most popular sport after football.
03:03Supporters point to the country's love affair with the sport as evidence fans will show up in large numbers.
03:08During the 2017 World Under 18 Championships, it's a junior competition.
03:16So, really, none of the Kenyan athletes were known to anyone.
03:21But guess what?
03:22Kenyans came in crazy huge numbers.
03:25It went down in history as the most watched edition of the World Under 18 Championships.
03:34For Odira, Nairobi 2029 is still a long way off.
03:39First comes Beijing in 2027.
03:41If everything goes to plan, the champion who helped bring the championships to Kenya could return home to defend her
03:48title in front of a home crowd.
03:50We're so happy that we're hosting the world champs here at home.
03:55And we say to all countries and all the international athletes, we tell them welcome to Nairobi.
04:01And yeah, it will be a nice one.
04:04For now, preparations continue in Nairobi.
04:07But with the world watching, the next race for Kenya is against the clock.
04:11Thanks.
04:12Guys, we're getting together.
04:13We're entering now.
04:13Tell us about how a long- fortress gets to go out on Mount было from the first high bureau.
04:14We're entering the middle of the before today.
04:14We're out of today.
04:14We're almost all alone now, let's get involved.
04:14You're a sight ofvak.
