Ibrahim Githaiga still had about 100 meters to go when the crowd began to roar.
Against the backdrop of rolling hills in Schinias National Park, the Kenyan rower was the only one left in the preliminary heats of single sculls Saturday.
The winner had crossed the finish line a minute earlier, and Githaiga still had to row the length of a football field. His exhaustion as much as his perseverance compelled spectators to will him to the finish.
Afterward, he hunched over in his shell, humbled by the attention and reflective of his achievement in the 2,000-meter race.
Never mind his time of 8 minutes 13.33 seconds relative to the day’s top performance by Norway’s Olaf Tufte, who finished in 7:12.53. Never mind the probability that Githaiga will finish last again in Monday’s repechage.
Githaiga made history as the first Kenyan rower to compete in the Olympics. A last-place finish in a world-class field was inconsequential when compared to his journey to Greece and the impression he left on the world.
“This is my biggest day,” Githaiga said.
His travels began and were supposed to end alongside his longtime coach, Kenyan Navy Sr. Sgt. Juvenalis Gitau. But on July 29, Gitau was killed in a car accident, stunning the small rowing community in Kenya.
The news reached Githaiga in Munich, where he was working with Dutch rowers.
“Real life hit–it was difficult,” said Jasper Smink of the Netherlands, who has stepped in as Githaiga’s coach at the Games.
“He was very close to me,” said Githaiga, 35. “He was my first coach.”
They worked together for seven years. Behind their efforts, and relying on battered equipment, Githaiga, Gitau and Seif Patwa, chairman of the Kenyan Rowing and Canoeing Association, introduced the sport to Kenyans in the mid-1990s.
“A lot of people who could not spell the word `rowing’ now know what it’s all about,” Patwa said.
Nine years ago Patwa chose Gitau to train Navy servicemen in old, abandoned shells. Githaiga, a corporal, was one of many who showed interest two years later.
“We were many rowers in few boats,” Githaiga said. “The equipment, that was the most difficult.”
Githaiga continually won time trials, a tribute to the stamina he had gained from running cross-country and playing field hockey.
A turning point came when Patwa, who had trouble convincing a skeptical government for financial help, submitted Githaiga’s name to the International Olympic Committee for aid.
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Through its Olympic Solidarity program, the IOC awarded the rower and his coach a scholarship early in 2003 and covered more than $30,000 in training costs as Githaiga and Gitau traveled to Australia and South Africa to work with reputable rowing programs.
From there, Githaiga and his coach were in for the long haul. They were pioneers trying to grasp every detail of a sport foreign to their country.
They prepared tenaciously, knowing that getting to Athens would give the sport glaring exposure in Kenya. The IOC funded the coach’s travels so he could apply his training to the development of a Kenyan rowing program, project manager James Macleod said.
“It was a brave step,” said Chris O’Brien, an Australian coach, adding that Githaiga “was with people who were really of a high standard.”
Githaiga lacked ability, but he pressed on and won the respect of the Australians, the South Africans and, most recently, the Dutch with whom he trained.
“He knew how to row, but not very fast,” said Craig Jones, one of Australia’s top scullers. “He’s picked up a lot of improvements.”
Githaiga took a huge step in April by qualifying for Athens with a second-place finish in Africa’s trials.
“It was a moment of absolute joy,” Patwa recalled.
The rower’s increasing success affirmed Patwa’s belief that Kenya, famous for its dominant world-class long-distance runners, could offer its athletes a chance to showcase their endurance in another arena that requires significant stamina for long stretches.
“Physiologically, it’s there,” Patwa said. “We need training, and people will see startling results.”
Until now, Patwa was struggling to promote the sport.
“Rowing was a new concept,” Patwa said. “It was unknown. It was very difficult to convince people that we’d be able to send someone to the Olympics.”
The sentiment is changing quickly. A few of Kenya’s young rowers already are showing flashes of success at the junior level.
Githaiga is considering an Olympic run in 2008, but with greater purpose and responsibility.
Gitau’s legacy will be far-reaching if his protege has his way.
“One of his things was to make rowing grow in Kenya,” Githaiga said. “He would talk about rowing every day.
“Now I want rowing to extend everywhere.”