Kenya will look to successfully defend its World Athletics Under-20 title when the event comes to home soil in August this year. The Championship was initially slated for last year but was pushed forward to this year due to challenges occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
And with the event now confirmed on World Athletics’ calendar, the host nation has named a strong team of 23; 24 men and 19 women, to compete for top honors at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani.
The team was selected after a rigorous three-day trial period at the Kasarani Stadium with the top two finishers in most of the races earning a ticket to the Championships.
Athletics Kenya head of youth development Barnaba Korir
“The top two finishers in every race, as long as they hit the qualifying standards were selected into the team. But as the host nation, World Athletics has given us the liberty to select one athlete per event where we don’t have anyone qualifying,” said Barnaba Korir, the chairman of the Athletics Kenya Youth Development Committee.
He added; “We have had a very successful trial period here and we know that we have put together a very strong team. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic where we have not been able to train really well, we have done our best under the circumstances.”
The team is expected to hit training officially on July 15 and Korir says they will ask to use the Kasarani Stadium as a bubble training camp once the Olympic team travels to Tokyo.
Kenya won the title during the last Championship in Tampere, Finland, three years ago and will look to repeat the feat on home soil.
All eyes will be on middle and distance athletes, Kenya’s specialty in athletics, to retain the title home.
Vincent Keter, a training partner of world champion Timothy Cheruiyot will be looking to retain the 1500m title, also won by a fellow training partner, George Manangoi in Tampere.
“Training with Manangoi and Timothy has been huge for me because they have given me the necessary experience. They have been advising me and that’s why I performed well in the trials. I know that I will be able to replicate what they have achieved and also win in Nairobi,” said the 19-year old.
Keter won the Kenyan trials in a comfortable time of 3minutes, 38.85 seconds ahead of Emanuel Lemama from Southern who clocked 3minutes, 42.05 seconds, also earning a ticket to the Championships.
Keter dominated the race from start to finish, strutting the track with the long legs synonymous of his training partner Cheruiyot.
Meanwhile, after failing to travel for the Africa Cross Country Championship which was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jackline Chepkoech will look to reap gold elsewhere after earning a ticket into the Kenyan team in the women’s steeplechase.
Jackline Chepkoech clears the water barrier during the final of the steeplechase
Chepkoech dominated the race from start to finish, alongside training partner Faith Cherotich to win the race in a time of 9minutes, 32.99seconds. Cherotich finished second in 9minutes, 33.02seconds. The two were peerless, running alone upfront just after the second lap.
They were side by side, urging each other until the bell when Chepkoech decided to bolt upfront and go for the win.
“I am really confident that we will retain the title. I am inspired by my role model Beatrice Chepkoech and I know we will do something good at the end of the Championship at home. I had hoped to go to the Africa Cross Country Championship but at least now I have this. I have trained well but I need to go back and do better,” she said.
In the corresponding men’s race, Simon Koech and Amos Serem will fly Kenya’s flag. Different from the women’s race, the men’s was competitive with Koech needed a huge surge in the final 50m to clinch the victory in 8minutes, 18.43 seconds ahead of Serem who timed 8minutes, 20.26 seconds.
Simon Koech winning the men’s steeplechase at teh World Under-20 trials
“It was a very tough field with good athletes and from the start, I knew it was not going to be easy. I had to calculate really well and it is the tactics I used that worked well for me. I have really been waiting for this moment since last year and now I am happy it has finally come. Now it is time to go back to training and put in the effort to be ready for August,” the 18-year old stated.
The team will now switch focus to clearing the final term of school before they get into camp to be ready to welcome the world.
So far, over 180 countries have confirmed they will be in Nairobi for the Championships.
Team Kenya
Men:
High jump – Sid Markurs
Discus: Titus Kiptoo
Long Jump: Dennis Maina
Shot put: Dominic Kiprotich
Javelin: Wilson Letungei
10,000m walk: Herritone Wanyonyi
100m: Sylvester Simiyu
110m Hurdles: Patrick Muindi
200m: Jonathan Muasya
400m Hurdles: Peter Kithome, Allocius Kipngetich
400m: Elkanah Kiprotich, Edwin Kipyego, Kennedy Kimeu
800m: Noah Kibet, Emmanuel Wanyonyi
1500m: Vincent Keter, Emmanuel Kemama
3000m: Bernard Kibet, Daniel Kinyanjui
3,000m steeplechase: Simon Kiprop, Amos Serem
5,000m: Levi Kibet, Benson Kiplangat
Women:
High jump: Zeddy Chesire
Long Jump: Zeddy Chesire
Discus: Linda Kageha
Javelin: Martha Musai
Shot put: Maureen Milka
Triple Jump: Fatuma Winnie
10,000m walk: Margaret Gati
100m hurdles: Agnes Ngumbi
100m: Mary Chebet
200m: Loice Morara
400m hurdles: Agnes Ngumbi
400m: Sylvia Chelangat
800m: Sheila Chepkosgei, Brenda Chebet
1500m: Purity Chepkurui, Winnie Jemutai
3,000m: Theresia Muthoni, Zena Jemutai
3,000m steeplechase: Jackline Chepkoech, Faith Cherotich
5,000m: Maurine Cherotich, Zena Jemutai
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