- Double World Champion Faith Kipyegon headlines the 1500m list
- World record holder Beatrice Chepkoech is also lining up
- Timothy Cheruiyot competes in the steeplechase
The Diamond League season officially guns off on Friday, with the opening leg in the Qatari capital of Doha. Several high prodfile Kenyan athletes are expected to grace the event, which propels them into the new campaign that least to the World Championship later in August.
The women’s 1500m and by extension the Kenyan charge in Doha will be led by double world champion Faith Kipyegon.
The 29-year-old national record holder ran the second-fastest 1500m time ever in Monaco last summer (3:50.37). Arguably the greatest female 1500m runner of all-time, she now holds seven of the 20 fastest times in history and is the athlete with the most sub-four minute performances.
Kipyegon who started her training way back in December says she feels she is in the right shape and is ready to battle for her first victory of the season.
Satisfied with training and ready
“Training has been really okay and I feel ready. I usually love to start with the longer distances for endurance but this time, I am starting with my distance to work majorly on speed. It will be an interesting field and I am ready to compete,” Kipyegon said.
African champion Winny Chebet, a perennial competitor in the Diamond League, is the other Kenyan in the line up.
World Under-20 champion Birke Haylom of Ethiopia will dive into the senior ranks, and the Ethiopian contingent will also include world medalist Lemlem Hailu, Axumawit Embaye and Hirut Meshesha.
Meanwhile in the women’s steeplechase, world record holder and former world champion Beatrice Chepkoech will be back in action and hopes for a positive start.
Chepkoech laboured through last season with injury and failed to travel to Oregon for the defense of her world title.
But with a positive feedback on her fitness and having also compered in a few Cross Country races, she will look towards a positive outcome.
She is joined in the race by World Under-20 Champion faith Cherotich and Commonwealth Games Champion Jackline Chepkoech who is looking to inherit the crown from her.
Former Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai of Uganda and American Emma Coburn are among other athletes expected to offer competition.
El Bakkali leads charge in the steeplechase
In the corresponding men’s event, Moroccan reigning Olympic and world 3000m steeplechase champion Soufiane El Bakkali will headline the field.
El Bakkali, the reigning Diamond League champion, remained unbeaten throughout 2022 having opened his season with victory in Doha. Prior to winning the world title in Eugene, he clocked a world lead of 7:58.28 at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Rabat, only marginally outside his lifetime best of 7:58.15, set in 2018.
In an incredible Doha line up, he will be joined by Ethiopia’s Olympic and world 3000m SC silver medallist Lamecha Girma, the world indoor 3000m record holder who clocked 7:23.81at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais in February to improve a record that had stood for 25 years. He is also a world indoor silver medallist.
A peculiar name that will line up on the list however, is 1500m former world champion Timothy Cheruiyot who will compete in an event that is not traditionally his.
Also peculiarly lining up in the water and barriers race is Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega.
In the men’s 800m, Commonwealth Games double champion Wycliffe Kinyamal leads the Kenyan contingent which also includes former World Under-20 silver medalist Noah Kibet.
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