National athletics trials set at Kasarani

It is all system go as the three-day Athletics Kenya national championships trials start tomorrow at Kasarani Stadium.

The trials will also be used to select team for the 20th Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Durban from June 22-26, even as about 18 athletes will be missing in action.

The missing elite athletes will be in action at the fourth leg of IAAF Diamond League Series in Eugene’s Prefontaine Classic this weekend. 

They will be led by three-time world 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop, world silver medalist Elijah Manangoi,  Paul Tanui, Mercy Cherono, Hellen Obiri and USA-based Betsy Saina among others.

“We are taking the weekend’s national championships more seriously than ever. This will begin the final design of our Olympics team” said Athletics Kenya President Jack Tuwei.

“Most our sprinters have not attained the required qualification time for the Olympics, thus we encourage them to use the championships to get the time required”

Tuwei said they will send the strongest team to the Durban Championships in South Africa.