Botswana's Letsile Tebogo (© Getty Images)
An array of global medallists headlines the Kip Keino Classic – a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting – in Nairobi this Saturday (20).
Several of the world’s best hammer throwers – including world champion Ethan Katzberg, Olympic champion Wojciech Nowicki, five-time world champion Pawel Fajdek and world record-holder Anita Wlodarczyk – will all be in action on the infield.
On the track, meanwhile, double world medallist Letsile Tebogo of Botswana highlights the men’s 200m, while world champion Mary Moraa contests her first 800m of the season in front of what is expected to be a lively home crowd.
Tebogo, who took 100m silver and 200m bronze at the World Championships last year, has already had a strong start to the year. He set a world 300m best of 30.69 in February, then followed it with a 19.94 clocking over 200m and a world-leading 44.29 PB for 400m.
Although this will be his first appearance at the Kip Keino Classic, the African 200m record-holder has fond memories of Nairobi as it’s where he won the first of two world U20 100m titles.
The 20-year-old won’t have it all his own way this weekend, though, as he takes on a field that includes USA’s world leader Courtney Lindsey, Canada’s 2022 world 4x100m champion Brendon Rodney, and Olympic 4x100m champion Eseosa Desalu of Italy.
As has been the case for the past three years, Polish hammer star Nowicki will open his season in Nairobi. The seven-time global medallist, who set a meeting record of 81.43m here in 2022, will be aiming for a third consecutive victory in the Kenyan capital.
The 35-year-old will take on compatriot and long-time rival Fajdek, winner in Nairobi in 2021, as well as Canada’s Katzberg, who was second last year. Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Kokhan, fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, also returns to Nairobi.
The women’s hammer is of a similarly high standard. Three-time Olympic champion Wlodarczyk will grace the Kip Keino Classic for the third time as the Pole lines up for her first competition since last year’s World Championships.
The 38-year-old, who holds the meeting record of 78.06m, will take on two-time world medallist Janee' Kassanavoid, the winner in Nairobi last year, USA’s Janeah Stewart and European champion Bianca Ghelber.
Exactly one month after winning the African Games 400m title in 50.57, Moraa returns to her specialist distance of 800m in Nairobi. The world champion will be joined on the startline by fellow Kenyans Nelly Chepchirchir, Naomi Korir and Vivian Chebet, as well as Uganda’s 2019 world champion Halimah Nakaayi and Ethiopia’s Netsanet Desta.
In the men’s 800m, Emmanuel Wanyonyi will open his season and target his third Kip Keino Classic victory. The world silver medallist will be up against African Games champion Aron Kemei and world leader Kethobogile Haingura of Botswana, Olympic silver medallist Ferguson Rotich, 2019 world 1500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot and 2022 world indoor 1500m bronze medallist Abel Kipsang.
African record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala will be targeting his third Kip Keino Classic 100m victory. The Kenyan will go up against USA’s Olympic 200m silver medallist Kenneth Bednarek, who almost beat Noah Lyles last weekend, European U23 champion Jeremiah Azu, and Arthur Cisse of the Ivory Coast.
The women’s 100m will mark the return of Namibia’s Olympic 200m bronze medallist Christine Mboma. The 20-year-old will be up against 10.92 performer Alana Reid of Jamaica, double African Games champion Gina Bass, world indoor 60m finalist Rani Rosius, and USA’s Shannon Ray.
Elsewhere in the sprints, Olympic 4x400m champion Bryce Deadmon leads a men’s 400m field that also includes fellow global relay medallists Bayapo Ndori of Botswana and Gilles Biron of France.
Competitive clashes expected in distance events
There will be exciting showdowns in the distance races as leading Kenyan athletes take on their greatest rivals Ethiopia.
Fresh from his victory in the mixed relay at the World Cross, world U20 champion Reynold Kipkorir will be brimming with confidence when he lines up for the 1500m in Nairobi. The teenager will be up against world U20 800m champion Ermais Girma of Ethiopia, who finished second to Kipkorir over 1500m at the 2022 World U20 Championships.
Others in the field include 2021 world U20 champion Vincent Keter, Olympian Charles Simotwo, and African U20 silver medallist Ashenafi Gadisa of Ethiopia.
In the men’s steeplechase, Olympic bronze medallist Benjamin Kigen and world bronze medallist Abraham Kibiwot line up against fellow Kenyans Amos Kirui, winner in Nairobi last year, African Games silver medallist Amos Serem and 2021 world U20 champion Lawrence Kemboi. They’ll take on double African champion Haliemariyam Amare and his Ethiopian compatriot Milkesa Fikadu.
Having won what she termed as a surprise bronze medal at the World Cross Country Championships in Belgrade last month, Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi will headline the 5000m in Nairobi. The 2019 world silver medallist won at this meeting in 2021 and finished second last year.
Others in the field include world 10,000m finalist Grace Nawowuna, Sheila Jebet, fourth in the U20 race at the World Cross, and African U20 cross-country silver medallist Yenenesh Shimket Ademas of Ethiopia.
Following a strong winter campaign on the roads and cross country, Edinah Jebitok leads a women’s 1500m field that also includes Ethiopia’s Hawi Abera and Kenya’s Mary Ekiru, the silver and bronze medallists respectively from the recent African Games.
Germany’s 2016 Olympic javelin champion Thomas Rohler will be competing at the Kip Keino Classic for the first time. The 32-year-old will take on Timothy Herman, who set a Belgian record of 87.35m to win in Nairobi last year, 2015 world champion and home favourite Julius Yego of Kenya, and 2015 world silver medallist Ihab Abdelrahman of Egypt.
In other events, Italy’s 2022 world bronze medallist Elena Vallortigara headlines the women’s high jump field, while Asian record-holder Kemi Adekoya is the stand-out in the women’s 400m hurdles.
Michelle Katami for World Athletics
