African 5000m bronze medalist Grace Momanyi said August 8 was the proudest moment in her life as she carried the country's flag into the Bird's Nest at the opening ceremony for the Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

However, Momanyi who returned to Nairobi on Sunday said her worst nightmare unfolded a week later after the opening of the Olympic Games.

Her Olympic dream ended in disgrace after being withdrawn from the team unceremoniously. "It is the most humiliating, crushing and worst thing that has ever happened to me. I was treated like an unwanted person and I now understand why athletes defect to other countries," a bitter Momanyi told The Standard newspaper.

The former assistant team captain and a medal prospect in the women's 10,000m, is now staring into a bleak future, and changing allegiance afterserving her country diligently has even crossed her mind.

"I want to go home and relax with my family. I don't know whether I will ever compete for Kenya again. I am praying to God to give me grace and guidance on my way forward."

Upcoming long distance runner Penina Arusei replaced the African 5000m bronze medalist and national cross country short course champion in the 10,000m start list in last minute changes lastThursday.

Chief de Mission David Okeyo said that Arusei who traveled to Beijing as an alternate athlete was picked to partner with 10,000m commonwealth champion Lucy Kabuu and Linet Masai in Kenya's quest for her first medal in the 29th Olympiad.

Okeyo said the decision to drop Momanyi in favor of Arusei was made by the coaches.

Arusei was initially left out of the final squad on grounds that she had not attained qualification for the Olympics despite finishing second at the national trials.

She was however reinstated as an alternate athlete after attaining the qualifying mark abroad. Her personal best time and season's best time of 30:57.8 is the second best among those in the start list.

But Momanyi's darkest hours began to unravel on the eve of the women's 10,000m final on August 14 when her colleague in the race, Kabuu, knocked on her door after they had retired from dinner.

"She told me she had disturbing news but asked me not to react. She had just learnt from the internet that my name was not on the starting list," Momanyi said fighting back tears.

"We went down to the team's management, they took me in circles when I asked for an explanation. They said the decision (to drop her) could not be reversed as they tried to calm me."

The following day, officials knocked on her door and told her to follow them to the accreditation centre without delay. At the lift, she found another set of officials and Arusei, her replacement.

She was prevailed to hand over her competitor's tag, which they swapped with the reserve athlete badge that Arusei had. With no access to the Olympic Village, she waited for hours for officials to make arrangements for her to get accommodation and food.

"After making endless phone calls, they asked me whether I had money and when I told them no, they gave me just enough for a meal before they took me to the hotel where other reserves were."

She decided to go to the stadium to watch the race but later she was too distraught to sleep. The following day, a visitor's pass to the Village was secured and she got her bags, ready to return home and arrived on Sunday night.

"I do not know why they treated me like this, no one has offered me an explanation. Why did they select me to compete if they knew they would not let me run?" she poses.

(Xinhua News Agency August 19, 2008)