Kenyans hope to dominate Stockholm Diamond meet on Sunday
Athletics
By
Xinhua
| Aug 21, 2020
After a successful outing at the Herculis Diamond League meet in Monaco last weekend, Kenyan stars return to track at the second stop of global track and field in Stockholm on Sunday.
World champions Timothy Cheruiyot, Hellen Obiri and Olympics 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon will be seeking to maintain their perfect start to the season at the Swedish capital.
In Monaco, the 24-year-old Cheruiyot stormed to victory in a world-leading time of 3:28.45 ahead of Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway who finished the race in 3:28.68.
The duo is set to continue with their rivalries in the 1,500m event which will have Kenyan young star Vincent Keter in the lineup.
Ethiopia's 10,000 world silver medallist Yomif Kejelecha will be another runner eyeing the podium finish on Sunday in the men's 1,500m.
Kipyegon will test the endurance of her compatriot and world 5,000m champion Obiri when the two face each other in the women's 1,500m event that has also attracted Africa 1,500m champion Winnie Chebet of Kenya.
The Kenyan trio will be up against Commonwealth Games champion Winnie Nanyondo of Uganda and Britain's Laura Muir who finished second behind Kipyegon in Monaco last week in the 1,000m race.
Obiri herself is a force to reckon in the 1,500m event having been an African champion in 2014 and a Commonwealth Games champion.
The 30-year-old will deploy the form that saw her dominate the 5,000m event in Monaco, winning the 12 lap race in a meet record of 14:22.12.
After finishing a disappointing eighth position in Monaco meet, world 800m bronze medalist Ferguson Rotich will be looking to bounce back when he takes on world champion Donovan Brazier of the USA and world silver medallist Amel Tula of Bosnia and Herzegovina in men's 800m.
Coach Bernard Ouma who has accompanied his charges in Stockholm expressed confidence that the Kenyan runners will maintain their form on Sunday in their respective events.
"These are the few opportunities of the 2020 season after COVID-19 disrupted the world, so runners maximize on the events by posting great results and I expect Kenyan runners to continue with last week's display in Stockholm on Sunday," Ouma who handles world champion Cheruiyot and Keter told Xinhua on Friday.