Big shots set up London date

Wycliffe Kinyamal of Kenya reacts after winning in the men's 800m event event of the IAAF Diamond League Shanghai athletics competition, in Shanghai on May 12, 2018. / AFP PHOTO /

Commonwealth Games 800m champion Wycliffe Kinyamal and world 5,000m champion Hellen Obiri will lead the Kenyan onslaught in London Anniversary Games, the 11th IAAF Diamond League meeting, inside Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park today and tomorrow.

World indoor 3,000m bronze medalist Bethwel Birgen, 2015 world under-18 3,000m champion Richard Yator and Cyrus Ruto will line up against against world 5,000m champion Muktar Edris and two-time world indoor 3,000m champion Yomif Kejelcha in men’s 5,000m today.

Prove mettle

Since beating track maestro Mo Farah of Britain to claim the world title in London last year, Edris would return to the same venue to prove his mettle. But he has not shown blistering form this year as Birhanu Balew, running for Bahrain, has moved to the top of the IAAF Diamond League standings, winning his second point race of the season in Lausanne with a world lead of 13:01.09.

Kinyamal, 21, who had initially focused on the high jump before taking up track after compelting Form Four at Mogonga Secondary School in Nyamira County is chasing his third Diamond League victory of the season after winning Shanghai meet in 1:43.91 in May before winning in Rome in June. 

Miss trials

He was third in Eugene, an event won by his US-based compatriot Emmanuel Korir, where he picked an injury and missed national trials for Africa Senior Athletics Championships set for Assaba, Nigeria, next month. 

Korir and Kinyamal will be up against 2012 Olympic silver medalist Nijel Amos and Poland’s Adam Kszczot of Poland, who will bid for a third straight European crown next month.

After finishing 1-2 over 5000m in Rabat last week, where world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri posted a world lead of 14:21.75 and Dutch woman Sifan Hassan returning second in European record of 14:22.34, the two women meets again tomorrow evening over one mile with home girl Laura Muir also in the line up.

A victory for neither cannot be ruled out, though it will perhaps be the finishing speed of America Jenny Simpson, who came through late to win silver over 1500m at last year’s World Championships, that poses the bigger threat tomorrow.

Elsewhere, Christian Coleman and Mike Rodgers, part of the US team beaten into silver at World Championships last year by Great Britain returns to London. While Coleman, who flew back from injury to win last week’s Rabat 100m in 9.98, and Rodgers, the third fastest man this year with 9.89, might have vengeance on their mind, they will also have to contend with Ronnie Baker. Their fellow US sprinter holds the joint-fastest time in the world this year (9.88).