How Kenyan squads to Budapest met the qualifying standards

Conseslus Kipruto (078) competes in the 3000SC men final race during the Trials for World Athletics Championship held at Nyayo National stadium in Nairobi on July 08, 2023.[Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Less than 30 days to the World Championships in Budapest and preparations for the medal hunt and titles are intensifying.

Last year in Eugene, the qualifying standards for World Championships were tough.

But the 2023 Budapest World Championships qualifying standards are even tougher.

Athletes had to be brilliantly faster and showcase the best of speeds to qualify for the international championships set for August 19 to 27.

Previously, the World Athletics had fashioned the standards to have 50 percent of athletes qualify through the sent qualifying marks and another similar number via World Rankings.

Some of the major drops in qualifying times came in the distance events such as 5,000m and 10,000m.

But this year, the standards are ominously tougher in a number of events as World Athletics made attempts to have fewer athletes qualify based on the standard mark per discipline and more via the global body’s World Ranking.

Last August, World Athletics announced that athletes would use a mile time to qualify in the 1500m, a move that saw men and women run 3:51.00 and 4:22.00 respectively.

Athletes would also qualify for 5,000m and 10,000m based on their road race times in the 5km, and 10km to qualify for Worlds.

For example, in 2022, the World Championship standards in the 5,000m and 10,000m were 13:13.50 and 27:28.00 for men and 15:10.00 and 31:25.00 for women respectively.

 Athletics fans dance to the tune of Isukuti during trials for World athletics championships at the Nyayo National stadium on Saturday, July 8, 2023. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

But in 2023, the qualification marks have been lowered to 13:07.00 (5,000m) and 27:10.00 (10,000m) for men and 14:57.00 (5,000m) and 30:40.00 (10,000m) for women.

The qualifying window for most events for the 2023 World Championships events ran from July 31, 2022, and still runs until July 30, 2023.

A number of Kenyan top guns on the team to Budapest are however still chasing the qualifying standard times just days to July 30.

Among them are Olympic 800m silver medallist Ferguson Rotich and Naomi Korir in the women’s two-lap race.

Simon Koech will also be chasing the 3,000m steeplechase qualifying time just as Wycliffe Kinyamal, Kennedy Kimeu, Zablon Kimeu and Kelvin Sawe are hoping to meet the 4x400m standard.

We look at how some of the Kenyan athletes hit the tough qualifying standards.

Faith Kipyegon (061) leading 5000M Women final during trials for World athletics championships at the Nyayo National stadium on Friday, July 7, 2023. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

Easy qualification Faith Kipyegon

Record breaker Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon easily hit the 1,500m and 5,000m qualifying standards when she shattered the world records in the two events within one week on June 2 and June 9 respectively.

The double Olympic and world champion has the fastest time of 3:49.11 in 1,500m and 14:05.20 in 5,000m against the qualifying marks of 4:03.50 (1,500m) and 14:57.00 (5,000m).

But even without the words records, Kipyegon had already secured qualifying as the defending champion over 1500m and also as the Diamond League Trophy winner.

The 5000m world record though ensured of her smooth qualifying.

With the qualifications, Kipyegon will be eyeing the first 5,000m world title, a medal missing on a wall cabinet before taking up road racing in the future.

She will also be eying a third world title in 1,500m, her specialty.

"I didn't expect to win the 5,000m during the trials, but I did it and I am happy about it. The 1,500m remains my favourite event but I am doing very well in the 5,000m. So I am going to double up in both the 1,500m and 5,000m in Budapest," Kipyegon said at the trials earlier this month.

She clocked 14:53.90 at the trials, recording a time within the standards.

Margaret Chelimo competes in 10,000m. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

It was tough for Kasait and Chelimo

Former World Under-18 3000m champion Lilian Kasait and world silver medallist Margaret Chelimo faced one of the strongest fields at Paris Diamond League to run under 14:57.00 which is within the World Championships qualifying standard.

Kasait timed 14:23.05 to book a fourth place at the Paris meeting as Chelimo finished sixth in 14:23.67 in the race won by Faith Kipyegon, and which had Ethiopian big shots Letesnbet Gidey and Ejgayehu Taye who finished second and third.

Ferdinand Omanyala celebrates winning the 100M men final race during the Trials for World Athletics Championship held at Nyayo National stadium in Nairobi on July 08, 2023.[Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Omanyala hits the mark

African 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala has had a superb season, and in the process of his stellar shows, he became a World championship material in the short race.

The Commonwealth champion ran under the 10.00 qualifying mark in a number of meets in both local and international contests.

At the national Championships in June, Omanyala blasted to a 9.96 at Nyayo Stadium before lowering the time to 9.85 at the Budapest World Championships trials.

He had sprinted 9.84 at the Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour in Nairobi before a 9.98 dash at the Paris Diamond League where he placed second.

Emmanuel Wanyonyi (R) wins 800 Men semifinal 2 race during the Trials for World Athletics Championship held at Nyayo National stadium in Nairobi on July 07, 2023.[Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Emmanuel Wanyonyi’s efforts pay

The former World Under-20 800m champion grew from strength to strength this season and is among Kenyans primed for a medal in the two-lap distance.

Wanyonyi, who is coached by former World 800m champion Janeth Jepkosgei started the track and field season with a bang.

The 18-year-old athlete ran a world lead of 1:43.32 at the Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour in late May and followed it up with another win at the Rabat Diamond League.

At the Paris Diamond League on June 9, he lowered the world Lead after racing 1:43.27.

All his times this season were within the 1:44.70 qualifying standards for the Budapest showpiece. Athletes were required to run 1:45.20 to qualify for 2022 Eugene.

Former African Under-20 champion Alex Ngeno Kipngetich, who will be competing in 800m alongside Wanyonyi and world champion Emmanuel Korir made the standards during the national trials. He ran 1:44.21 while booking his ticket to Budapest.

Kipngetich ran 1:45 at the Kenya Prisons Track and Field Championships in May before going back to the drawing, returning to under 1:44.70.

Mary Moraa celebrates winning the 800m race during the Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour Nairobi 2023 meet at Kasarani Stadium on May 13, 2023. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Mary Moraa danced her way to the mark

World bronze medallist and Commonwealth champion Mary Moraa was within the 1:59.80 qualifying mark as she entertained the world with her signature dances at the finish line this season.

Moraa smashed the meeting record at the Silesia Diamond League on Sunday, July 16, stopping the timer at 1:56.85.

She posted impressive performances at the Lausanne and Rabat Diamond Leagues, timing 1:57.43 and 1:58.72 respectively.

Daniel Simiu Ebenyo (R) and Jacob Krop leads the 50000M men final race during the Trials for World Athletics Championship held at Nyayo National stadium in Nairobi on July 08, 2023.[Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Men’s 5,000m and 10,00m

World silver medallist Jacob Krop and Commonwealth silver medallist Daniel Simiu Ebenyo had already met the 13:07.00 5,000m standard by September last year when they competed at the Memorial van Damme, Boudewijnstadion, Brussels Diamond League in Belgium.

Krop and Simiu ran 12:45.71 and 12:54.90 respectively at the Diamond League meet. They took the top two places at the trials.

Olympian Nicholas Kimeli met the 10,000m qualification standards through road racing. He ran 26:51 at the Brasov 10km last September.

Benard Kibet hit the 27:10.00 World Athletics standard mark when he finished second at the 299th Nippon Sport Science University Long Distance Competition in Yokohama, Japan in 26:55.04.