BIG SHOW IS ON: Elite athletes in a three-day riveting action in Eldoret

China Athletics Worlds Kenya's Julius Yego celebrates after winning the men's javelin at the World Athletics Championships at the Bird's Nest stadium in Beijing, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Eldoret comes alive this morning with the fifth Athletics Kenya track and field meeting at the new-look Kipchoge Keino Stadium.There is plenty of mouth-watering shows on the card, which sets the stage for bragging rights ahead of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on August 5-21.

From world javelin champion Julius Yego’s scream, world 800m record holder David Rudisha’s powerful kicks to world 400m hurdles champion Nicholas Bett’s new-found celebratory antics, the battle will no doubt stand out as mini-Olympics minus the Ethiopians.

Yego, the world and Commonwealth Games champion, said he will use the event to gauge his form ahead of the Olympics.

“I have trained enough in Nairobi. I need to test my form here at home and assess my fitness ahead of the Olympics. It will help polish a few techniques here and there and get ready for the season,” said Yego, an alumnus of Kapsabet Boys High School.

But the huge crowd, expected at the athletics-mad North Rift region, will await the clash between Rudisha and Bett in 400m with bated breath.

Bett will marshal forces with his elder brother Haroun Koech, a semi-finalist at the Beijing worlds, against Rudisha and a legion of new kids on the block that include Africa junior 400m silver medallist Alex Sampao and Alphas Kishoyian, a silver medallist at the IAAF World Youth Championships in 2011 in 400m hurdles.

Jairus Kipchoge, the 2015 IAAF Diamond League Trophy winner, will lead the 3,000m steeplechase assault against Olympic bronze medalist Abel Mutai, world silver medalist Conseslus Kipruto and veteran Paul Kipsiele Koech.

Three-time world 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop will battle silver medalist Elijah Manangoi in 800m.

In the women’s front, world 3,000m champion Hyvin Kiyeng will lead former All Africa Games champion Ruth Bosibori and World Youth 2,000m steeplechase silver medalist Sandrafelis Chebet in the water and barriers race.

Bosibori, who trains in Eldoret, said: “I have prepared and hope the competition will give me good results in the beginning of the season.”

Geoffrey Kamworor, fresh from winning the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff last month, lines up in 1,500m against Nixon Chepseba, the 2011 IAAF Diamond League Trophy winner.

Olympic 800m bronze medallist Timothy Kitum and Timothy Cheruiyot, who was in the IAAF World Relays Championships last year, are expected to compete in the two-lap race.