Rudisha faces Kaki

By Mutwiri MutuotaAt the beginning of the Samsung IAAF Diamond League (DL) season, the luminaries of the inaugural 14-meet circuit competition were hyped as Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell clashing over 100m.The rest of the stellar athletes were supposed to fit in the supporters cast role. But tomorrow, the second final and last DL meet of the season in Brussels has a new top draw — step forward, David Rudisha.With Bolt, the Jamaican 100m and 200m Olympics and world champion, record holder as well as highest paid athlete on planet crocked and out of the season together with his compatriot Powell, the DL finale in Brussels needed a headliner.In Rudisha, who has shot to prominence this year and only last Sunday obliterated the world best with a jaw dropping 1:41.09 fits the bill.His face-off with World Indoor titleholder, Sudan’s protege Abubaker Kaki Khamis is touted as the climax to the first ever DL that succeeded IAAF Golden League.African ChampionWith eight points up for grabs, Rudisha, unbeaten on three DL meetings, leads the Diamond Race on 12 and with closest challenger, South Africa’s world champion, Mbulaeni Mulaudzi (eight) out injured, Kaki (six) is the only runner capable of overhauling the African champion. David Rudisha powers his way to a world record in Berlin last Sunday. He faces his main rival Abubaker Kaki of Sudan tomorrow (Friday) in Brussels. [PHOTO: REUTERS]Their only DL clash in Oslo ended in defeat for the Sudanese, 1:42.04 against 1:42.23 on June 6 earning Kaki the distinction of being the fastest ever loser over 800m. Doha (1:43.00/May 14) and Lausanne (1:43.25/July 8) are the other DL meets unbeaten Rudisha has topped.Besides Rudisha, Asbel Kiprop (men 1,500m), Janeth Jepkosgei (women 800m) and Milkah Chemos (women 3,000m steeple) are other chart topping compatriots seeking to join Nancy Lagat (women 1,500m) and Paul Kipsiele (men 3,000m steeple) as Diamond Race winners at their specialities.Kiprop, the Olympics and African champion leads standings on 14, three ahead of compatriot/Commonwealth 5,000m titleholder, Augustine Choge and the pair are set for the Brussels showdown.Even facing a tighter contest is Jepkosgei, the silver medallist in Olympics, world and Africa, who holds a thin one-point advantage over America’s Alysia Johnson and Russia’s world leader Mariya Saminova who are tied on eight. Semenya To FeatureMorocco’s Halima Hachlaf (six) is also in with a shout. The trio in addition to world champion, Caster Semenya, will feature and with the South African a runaway favourite for the eight points, Jepkosgei has to dip ahead of her rivals to bag the Diamond Trophy. Chemos, who has build a healthy 12-point lead over Gladys Kipkemoi (20 against eight) only has to start to confirm her status as the winner but as Lagat did last week in Zurich, she will aim to sign off on top.In the women’s 5,000m, world champion, Vivian Cheruiyot (ten) has the chance of overhauling Ethiopia’s leader, Sentayehu Ejigu (13), and bag the Diamond Trophy in a task that is not beyond her having shown the African bronze winner a clean pair of heels in Nairobi last month.

Rudisha faces Kaki

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Stand With Bold Journalism.
Stand With The Standard.

Related Topics

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS

DIGGER JOBS

Digger Motors

Digger Real Estate

Rudisha faces Kaki

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.

Stand With Bold Journalism. Stand With The Standard.

Related Topics

Trending Now

Popular this week

Latest Stories

The Standard Insider

Digger Classified

GET OUR NEWSLETTER

CONNECT WITH US

FOR THE LATEST JOB ADVERTS

Stand With Bold Journalism.
Stand With The Standard.