Local stars for Qatar Athletics Grand Prix

By Feverpitch Reporter

A cast of Kenyan Olympic, world and local champions will travel to Doha for Friday’s Qatar Athletics Super Grand Prix as they bid to kick start the outdoor international track season in style.

The Qatari event will give watchers a glimpse of what lies in store this season that includes the August World Championships in Athletics in Berlin.

Olympics 1,500m women’s champion, Nancy Jebet Lagat, will run in her speciality, while Asbel Kiprop, who stands to be named Beijing men’s gold medallist over the same distance, will feature in the 800m race.

"I’m aiming to improve my speed," Kiprop, who won bronze in the two-lap race at last year’s Africa Athletics Championships in Addis Ababa, told FeverPitch yesterday.

World governing body IAAF is expected to ratify the lanky athlete as Olympic champion after Bahraini runner, Rashid Ramzi, who finished first in Beijing, failed an IOC re-test.

Also participating in the Qatari event are world 800m champions, Alfred Kirwa Yego (men) and Janeth Jepkosgei (women).

Both will be seeking to defend their world titles in Berlin after winning bronze and silver at the Beijing Olympics.

Too Early To State Plan

"It’s too early to state my plan for the season. I want to gauge my body’s reaction in Qatar first," Kirwa, who will feature in the 1,500m competition, said.

Yesterday, the track stars were training at the Coca-Cola Stadium and leave tomorrow for the Qatari capital.

Bronze Winner

Athens Olympics steeplechase bronze winner, Paul Kipsiele Koech, and James Kosgei will take on world record holder, Saif Saeed Shaheen (formerly Stephen Cherono) in front of his home crowd in the water and barriers race.

Africa 1,500m champion and rising prospect in the mile race, Haroun Keitany and David Rudisha who won the 800m at the same event will also feature in the Doha meeting.

Daniel Kipchirchir Komen, the former world indoor silver medallist, Africa silver winner, Isaac Songok and former Commonwealth champion, Augustine Choge are also expected to don spikes in Qatar.

 

 

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