RUDISHA SEEKS REVENGE: Olympics 800m champ goes head-on against Rotich in Stockholm

Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha will lead a legion of Kenya’s globe-trotting stars to the eighth IAAF Diamond League meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, tonight.

The meet stands out as the final stage to the run-up of the always explosive national Olympics trials set for Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret on June 30-July 1.

Fresh from setting a 600m African record of 1:13.10 in Birmingham meeting a fortnight ago, Rudisha will renew his two-lap race rivalry with Ferguson Rotich, fourth in Beijing and who beat him in Shanghai.

Rotich completed his first win against Rudisha in international competition, having beaten him at the Beijing Worlds trials last year at Kasarani Stadium.

Rudisha, sixth in Shanghai and Rotich will be up against French man Pierre-Ambroise Bosse (1:42.53), who battled Rudisha down to the wire in the 600m contest in Birmingham.

Ethiopia’s Mohammed Amman (1:42.37), the 2013 world champion and European champion Adam Kszczot (1:43.30) of Poland will spice up the line-up.

Rudisha has, however, promised a good show at the Scandinavian nation tonight.

“I have no injury. I just need to sharpen my final 50m and hope all goes as planned,” Rudisha told FeverPitch at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham on June 5.

World 400m hurdles champion Nicholas Bett hopes to rise from the ashes of poor shows this season, as he takes on a classy line up that include America’s Michael Tinsley, who has a personal best of 47.70.

Despite producing one of the historic shocks for Africa last year in Beijing, Bett who is also a traffic policeman just like Rudisha, has had lukewarm start into the season. He finished sixth in Oslo and eighth in Eugene Diamond League meetings.

World javelin champion Julius Yego, who has a 84.68m season best mark, will take on Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott 86.35m, former world champion Vitezslav Vesely (83.81m) and German’s Thomas Rohler (89.30m) as well as Egyptian Ihab Abdelrahman 87.37m in the IAAF mid-season clash.

Ethiopians are expected to offer strong challenge in 5,000m against World Youth 3,000m champion Yomif Kejelcha and Ethiopia’s 23-year-old Muktar Edris.

Yenew Alamirew (12:48.77), Ethiopia’s national 3,000m record holder and Vincent Rono (13:16.42) are also in the 5,000m duel.

In the women’s front, Bahrain’s world junior 3,000m steeplechase champion Ruth Jebet (8:59.97), a cousin to world cross country stars Mathew Kisorio and Peter Kimeli, will light up the water and barriers race.

Ethiopia’s Olympic silver medallist Sofia Assefa (9:09.00), former world junior champion Caroline Tuigong (9:28.81) and a host of other Kenyan starlets are also expected to offer a mouth-watering clash.

They include Beatrice Chepkoech (9:17.41), 2013 world silver medalist Lydia Chepkirui (9:12.55), former Africa junior medalist Fancy Cherotich (9:28.04) and 2010 world junior champion Purity Kirui (9:17.74).

Former world indoor champion Hellen Obiri and Lydia Wafula will fly the 1,500m flag.