NAIROBI, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- At the crack of dawn on Monday, the family of Elijah Motonei Manangoi was among the hundreds who thronged the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi to receive the returning Kenyan athletes who ran at the London 2017 World Championships.
Only four of the 11 medalists the country produced at the 16th edition of the biannual track and field showpiece returned to the country. Among them was the newly minted world 1500m champion Elijah Motonei Manangoi.
With most of the other local heroes remaining in Europe for the conclusion of the 2017 IAAF Diamond League circuit season, Motonei had good reason to return home.
His family is set to throw the mother of all parties to celebrate his triumph, toasting a historic year for a homestead headed by a polygamous father.
On July 14, his younger brother, George Maitamei Manangoi, stormed to the boys' 1500m title at the Nairobi 2017 World Under 18 Championships on home soil where he ran 3:47.53 at the punishing Kenyan attitude for gold.
His entire family, including the then London-bound Motonei were watching from the stands at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani stadium and right then, the gauntlet was thrown for the silver medallist from the Beijing 2015 Worlds.
"Honestly I was not surprised he won. I know his training program and I knew he was up for a victory. I'm really happy for him," the 17-year-old, who is eying the World Under 20 title next year, said as he came to receive his victorious brother.
On Sunday, the senior Manangoi led fellow Kenyan, Timothy Cheruiyot to 1-2 in the final of the men's 1500m to upgrade from his second medal in China two years ago as ten days of riveting action came to an end.
However, the Manangoi family will have to shelve their party because the newly minted men 1500m champion soon take part in the Zurich IAAF Diamond League final on Aug. 20.
"I have won two races in Doha and Monaco with world-leading times, and a second-place finish in Eugene in the Diamond League. This motivates me to win the Diamond League title for the first time," Manangoi, who dropped out of the Rio 2016 Olympic final with an injury last summer, told reporters in Nairobi.
The 24 year-old officer in the Kenya Police Service attached to the Presidential Escort Unit tipped his younger brother to scale even greater heights.
"Watch out for George. He will be the next big thing. All I can do is to set him targets. I never won a junior title when I started and he is already a champion," the London 2017 Metric Mile king added.
