Two years ago Kenyan track star Pamela Jelimo was a source of national pride. Her sudden rise to fame and riches earned her a private audience with President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

However, the 800m Olympic champion and world junior record’s sudden downward slide has left many mystified.

Jelimo has not won a race since clinching the IAAF million-dollar jackpot in September 2008, and a series of races in Kenya and abroad have all ended in disappointment.

The athlete finished sixth on her return to competitive racing in Morocco in May 2009, blaming stress on her poor performance.

National athletics coach Stephen Mwaniki believes Jelimo’s problems are psychological.

“She was at the top for one solid year and the next year she was nowhere, even to the extent that she could not finish a race. It must be a psychological problem. Athletics is 75 per cent mental and 25 per cent physical,” he said.

But many, including her former coach Said Aziz believe Jelimo’s case epitomises the life of a superstar unable to cope with the pressures associated with celebrity fame in a lucrative Kenyan athletics industry.

“Her behaviour changed from being a disciplined athlete to being unruly. She showed total indifference in her attitude and acted aloof,” said Aziz.