Locals girls will be in action tomorrow in 1,500m heats.
Kenyan women are undefeated in 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games having dominated the last four editions.
The team at Gold Coast will be keen to uphold the country’s legacy when Stacy Ndiwa leads the assault in tomorrow’s finals at Carrara Stadium, Gold Coast.
At the 2014 Glasgow event, Kenya swept the podium places with Joyce Chekirui winning gold, Florence Kiplagat taking silver, while Emily Chebet won bronze, a feat likely to be repeated in Australia.
Other Kenyans who will race with Ndiwa are Beatrice Mutai and Sandra Felis Chebet who is making her senior debut at the global front, having dominated the junior ranks.
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Chebet, 20, has a 2000m steeplechase silver medal from the 2015 World U-18 Championships, a 3000m bronze medal from the 2015 Africa U-20 Championships and silver medals in both 5000m and 3000m from the 2017 Africa U-20 Championships.
At the 2016 World U-20 Championships in Bydgoszcz, she finished fifth in the 3000m. She has a Personal Best time of 32:42.2 in 10,000m.
As a junior runner, Ndiwa, 26, won the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games 1500m title. She finished fifth at the 2015 World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang, China, helping Team Kenya to a silver medal. She was also a bronze medalist in the 1500m at the 2011 African Junior Athletics Championships.
In women’s 1500m heats, Kenyans led by Beatrice Chepkoech, Winny Chebet and Mary Wangari are expected to storm into finals.
Chepkoech, 27, will be making her debut at the Commonwealth Games to add to her 1500m bronze medal performance at the 2015 African Games and fourth-place finish in the 3000m steeplechase at both the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and the London 2017 World Championships as well as a seventh-place finish in 1500m at the 2018 World Indoor Championships.
Kenya will also be in action tomorrow in the women’s 400m heats where Maximilla Imali and Veronica Mutua will compete.
In decathlon, Kenya’s sole representative Gilbert Koech will be hoping for a podium finish when he starts his ten-event consisting of track and field competition in men’s 400m heats.
Koech has a PB time of 6956 points and made his national team debut at the 2015 All-Africa Games where he crashed out in the qualification rounds.
Meanwhile, the marathon squad led by coach Joseph Kirwa departs for Gold Coast today. The men’s team comprises Nicholas Kamacha (2:06:34), Kenneth Mungara (2:07:36) and Julius Nderitu (2:08:01).
The women team includes Shelmith Muriuki (2:36.00), Sheila Jerotich (2:27:34) and Hellen Nzembi (2:35:58)
“The squad is well prepared and as we leave tomorrow (today) we are focused on the task ahead. We are also aware marathons are won depending on the weather conditions of the day,” Kirwa said.
