- The trials will be held over two days
- Only 160 athletes have been invited for the trials
- The first two across the line get an automatic ticket
Team Kenya for the World Athletics Championships to be staged in Budapest, Hungary later next month will be named this weekend, as Athletics Kenya conducts trials to select the athletes.
Only 160 athletes have been invited for the two-day trials at the Nyayo National Stadium, where the top two finishers across the line will be selected, as long as they have satisfied all World Athletics requirements, including attaining qualification time.
Most of the races will be straight finals, with the exception of the men’s 100m, 400m and 800m which will be going through the semi-finals.
All winners from the past World Championships as well as Diamond League champions will have wildcards for the World Champs, but Athletics Kenya has insisted that everyone has to compete at Nyayo.
As thus, Beatrice Chebet, winner of the 5,000m Diamond League trophy has chosen to compete in the 1500m as she looks for speed.
“I have already qualified for the World Championships in the 5,000m so I will compete in the 1500m just to gain and test my speed. I am not thinking about doubling. I will only run in the 5,000m,” Chebet, who won silver at the last Championship in Oregon last year stated.
My body is in good shape
World Championship silver medalist Beatrice Chebet
She adds; “I feel that my body is in good shape and I will be ready to compete for a medal place. There is no pressure. The target is just one, to try and finish in medal places,” she said.
Meanwhile, the star attraction on day one will be the men’s 100m semi-final, with African champion Ferdinand Omanyala competing. Omanyala has already attained qualification time and will only be competing to keep shape and satisfy AK requirements.
He says he will be seeking to run under 10 seconds.
“My body is in peak shape and I have worked a lot over the last two weeks so I feel great. I want to run under 10 seconds and possibly seek a world leading time,” Omanyala whose best time this season is 9.84 and also ranks as the second fastest time in the world this year.
Stacked field in the 10,000m
Meanwhile, there will be a stacked field battling for the top two slots in the men’s 10,000m,
There will be six Japan-based athletes, led by Richard Kimunyan, competing for places in Team Kenya, and the competition is expected to be cut-throat.
Ferdinand Omanyala
Stanley Waithaka Mburu, who finished second behind Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei in Oregon last year will also be in contention, as well as Daniel Mateiko who finished eighth.
Others to watch out for include Nicholas Kimeli, former Commonwealth Games champion Edward Zakayo, Jacob Krop and Daniel Simiu.
The women’s 5,000m final will also be a piece to watch. World record holder Faith Kipyegon will line up in the race to battle for endurance, as she already has a wildcard in her 1500m specialty as she’s the defending champion.
Having run a world record at both the 1500m and 5,000m last month, it is left to be seen whether she will be tempted to double in Budapest.
Beatrice Chepkoech, who paced Kipyegon to the World title in Florence, will also be lining up in the 5,000m. The field will be loaded with Lilian Kasait, Margaret Chelimo and Agnes Jebet all also lining up to seek for qualification.
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