America's Kerley ready for showdown with Omanyala

Olympic 100m silver medalist Fred Kerley is predicting a fast race in Saturday’s Kip Keino Classic.

The American who jetted into the country yesterday said he was ready to face his rivals at Kasarani Stadium.

Kerley, the most versatile sprinter currently owing to his ability to consistently run 100m, 200m and 400m will headline 100m dash against Italy’s Olympic champion Marcel Jacobs in what will be a rematch of the battle at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Apart from Jacobs, the American will square it out with Africa record holder and local favourite, Ferdinand Omanyala, the second-place finisher at the event’s second edition last year and fellow American, Trayvon Bromell who ran 9.76 to win the 2021 meet.

“It’s wonderful to be back, I set my PB at the end of my season last year, it’s wonderful to be back where I ended my season last year. I expect it will be a fast race and a fun race at the same time,” Kerley said.

The Doha 2019 Worlds relay gold medallist further welcomed the news that thousands of fans will be allowed to witness the 2022 Kip Keino Classic unfold on Saturday.  

It is this kind of energy he believes will drive him to accomplish his cherished dream this season- turning silver to gold at the Oregon 2022 World Championships in his native America.

“It would mean a lot. The first time the World Championships will be on home soil, us Americans we really get to travel so much, but this time we shall be on home ground. I’m sure I’m going to turn it (silver at Tokyo 2020) to gold at home,” he said.

Recently described by retired American sprinter Carl Lewis as the man who ran “the most consistent and best of anyone last year” Kerley remained coy on which of the distances he is a threat to any competition- 100m, 200m and 400m- he will focus on this year.

“I guess you’ll have to wait and see how it goes,” he said.

Meanwhile, in the field events, former Olympic silver medallist and world champion Julius Yego will face up against the 2015 world javelin silver medallist Ihab El Sayed Abdelrahman of Egypt.

Abdelrahman boosts a personal best of 89.21m and an Egyptian record.

Yego aims to use the Kip Keino Classic Tour to attain the qualification standards set for Oregon.

The qualification mark is pegged at 85m.

“We have the 2022 World Championships and the 2023 edition and this makes me compete this year and next year, and I hope to get the qualifications standard at the Kip Keino Classic,” Yego said.

Ethiopian duo of Girmawit Gebrzihair and Mizam Alem will spice up the women’s 5,000m Discretionary event.