What are the chances of Kenyan men in London? Know your team. Tough task for Kenyans as they seek title defence at global meet in English capital

400m sprinter Collins Omae works out through his coach Geoffrey Kimani assistance training session at Moi International Sport Centre, Kasarani on July 25, 2017 ahead of IAAF London World Championships. [Dennis Okeyo, Standard]

Coaches upbeat squad can weather storm.

Kenya have a tough task in their bid to be at the top of the medal table when the 16th IAAF World Athletics Championships start in London, United Kingdom on Friday.

The team heads to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the home ground for English Premier League side West Ham United in East London, seeking to successfully defend seven titles won in Beijing, China, in 2015.

But it’s a tall order as two defending champions – Nicholas Bett (400m hurdles) and Vivian Cheruiyot (10,000m) – are not in the team. Bett pulled out with while Cheruiyot has since graduated to marathon.

Head coach Julius Kirwa said: “I really want my men’s 10,000m team to win gold against Mo Farah in his home ground. That’s what will make me happier.”

On his part, coach Bernard Ouma, who handles middle distance, vowed to sweep top four places in 1,500m.

“Statistically, the bulk of Kenya’s medals in London are expected from middle distance running. The preparations have shown that we have the best 1,500m team who challenge for top spots and our expectations are high,” Ouma said.

 

Javelin

Defending champion Julius Yego has not impressed this season, basking in a best throw of 87.97m posted at Nyayo Stadium during the trials. He faces tough battle against Germans Johannes Vetter (94.44m) and Olympic champion Thomas Rohler (93.90m).

 

200m

Mark Otieno is the sole Kenyan representative in the race, having met the qualification standard of 20.44 seconds after posting 20.41 seconds at the national championship.

 

400m

Raymond Kibet, the Petroleum Engineering student at Tulane University in USA, was a member of Kenya’s 2016 Olympic team. He has a personal best of 45.39 in the 400m and won gold at the 2015 African Games as part of the 4x400m relay team in Congo Brazzaville. Boniface Mweresa, the Africa silver medalist, would be out to expand his trophy haul and will marshal forces with Collins Omae.

 

 800m

Despite not being in his top form, two-time Olympic and world 800m champion David Rudisha is keen to strike a hat-trick, leading youngsters in world junior champion Kipyegon Bett and US-based Emmanuel Korir, who boasts a world leading time of 1:43.10. Ferguson Rotich, the 2016 IAAF Diamond League Trophy winner is also in the team. They need to be at their best against 2012 Olympic silver medalist Nijel Amos of Botswana. “We have a young and talented squad this time, who have the potential to make it to the podium. There are high hopes for medals,” Rudisha said.

 

1,500m

Three-time world 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop is keen to shrug off his Rio Olympics ghosts and win a fourth title to equal Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj. He will team up with Timothy Cheruiyot, Ronald Kwemoi and world 1,500m silver medalist Elijah Manangoi, who ran a world leading time of 3:28.80 at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco – with Manangoi, Cheruiyot and Kwemoi in the top-three list. Competition here is expected to be among the Kenyans.

 

3,000m steeplechase

Ezekiel Kemboi, the fourth-time world champion, leads the water and barriers race onslaught against perennial rivals Jairus Kipchoge, the 2015 IAAF Diamond League speedster and world bronze medalist Brimin Kipruto. They will be up against America’s Olympic silver medalist Evan Jager, who won the Monaco meet. Olympic champion Conseslus Kipruto is yet to regain his groove after picking up an injury.

 

5,000m

Men’s 5,000m charges will be out to end a 12-year gold drought in the race on August 9 when action gets underway.

Benjamin Limo won it in 2005 in Helsinki, Finland. Commonwealth Youth Games champion Davis Kiplagat, national trials winner Cyrus Ruto and Josphat Kiprono Menjo, the former Africa 5,000m silver medalist will be relied on for medals.

But they need to be at their best to challenge four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah of Great Britain.

Kiplagat, the 2014 National School Games 3,000m champion and managed by Belgium-based Golazo Sports Management, was in the Africa Junior Athletics Championships in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2015 where he won silver before striking gold at Africa Youth Championships in Mauritius few months later.

He then settled for silver at the World Under-18 championship in Cali, Colombia, in 2015 behind Richard Kimunyan.

He made a sweet revenge against Kimunyan at the Commonwealth Games Youth 3,000m final, winning gold.

The London worlds is sigh of relief for Ruto, who was excluded from Rio Olympics despite finishing third at the national trials at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret. He won the national trials in 13:31.5.

Menjo finished fourth in the trials in 13:35.3 but was elevated to third place after Geoffrey Koech was disqualified for lane infringement.

 

10,000m

The men’s 10,000m is simply a re-enactment of Kenya’s Rio Olympics and Beijing worlds line up. World silver medalist Geoffrey Kamworor, Olympic silver medalist Paul Tanui and Bedan Karoki, fourth-placed at Beijing worlds, will renew their rivalry with Mo Farah and traditional rivals Ethiopia as they seek to win Kenya’s gold medal in the race since Charles Kamathi won in Edmonton, Canada, in 2001.

 

Marathon

On Sunday next week at 12:55pm, three men will strive to reclaim Abel Kirui’s IAAF world marathon crown he bagged in Daegu (2011).

London Marathon winner Daniel Wanjiru, Boston Marathon winner Geoffrey Kirui and Gideon Kipketer, the Tokyo Marathon runner up will be leading Kenya’s onslaught. It’s a young team — aged 24 and 25 years — and although they are breathing fire, it remains to be seen if they can replay the late Samuel Wanjiru’s feat at the 2008 Olympics at 22 years.

Wanjiru (Daniel), who comes from Kirinyaga County, won 2016 Prague half marathon and Amsterdam Marathon before winning his maiden World Marathon Majors crown at the London Marathon last April.

Wanjiru, seven-placed at the 2014 Frankfurt Marathon, shocked the world when he won London Marathon in 2:05.56 last April and huge expectations await as they strive to reclaim Abel Kirui’s title.

Kipketer, who draws inspiration from his elder sister Valentine Kipketer, boasts 2:05.51 personal best mark set in Tokyo Marathon last February.

Gideon and Valentine (2:23.41) finished third in men’s and women’s Chicago Marathon races. Interestingly, Gideon and Valentine have won Mumbai Marathon. Valentine, who is their older sibling, won the race in 2013 while Gideon won the race in 2016.

They have also competed in Amsterdam Marathon, where Gideon posted 2:08.14 in 2012 and Valentine won in 2:23.02 in 2013.

The two are managed by Dutchman Jos Hermens, a former track world record holder, who runs the Global Sports Communications based in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.