Core events: Catch the action on time

Celliphine Chespol on her way to winning 3000mSC in the Kip Keino Classic-World Athletics Continental Tour 2021 at Kasarani stadium in Nairobi on September18, 2021. [Stafford Ondego, Standard]

Women hammer throw: 2:20pm 

This is an event that has attracted three-time Olympic champion Anita Wlodarczyk (82.98) of Poland. Wlodarczyk basks in a personal best 82.98 metres throw. Our three athletes in Nancy Kanini (46.63), Lucy Omondi (52.82) and Roseline Rakamba (55.57) face a mountain to climb against top guns in Veronika Kanuchova (69.48) of Slovakia, Vanessa Sterckendries (69.91) of Belgium, Janee Kassanavoid (73.76) of USA, Bianca Ghelber (74.18) of Romania. Wlodarczyk looks an outright favourite. But it will turn out a huge experience for our hammer throwers.

 High jump women: 3:45pm

There is no Kenyan in the event. The battle pits Ana Simic (1.99) of Croatia and Oksana Okunyewa (1.98) of Ukraine. Simic competed at the 2012, 2016, and 2020 Summer Olympics. 

Oksana Okunyeva is a Ukrainian high jumper. She won the silver medal at the European U23 Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic, and finished first at the World Challenge Hengelo in the Netherlands. Her personal best jump is 1.98 metres, achieved in Berdychiv on 28 June 2014 at the Memorial of Vitaliy Lonsky. victory can fall either way.

100m women 4:06pm

It is one of the show-stoppers of the day. The battle for supremacy pits Jamaica’s three-time Olympic 100m champion Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce and Olympic silver medallist Christine Mboma of Namibia.

Fraser-Pryce, who boasts an impressive 10.60 personal best, must be at her best to stop Mboma, who basks in 10.97 seconds best mark. Fraser-Pryce’s form from last year’s Olympic Games makes her an outright favourite.

4:13pm: 3,000m steeplechase men

Olympic 3000m steeplechase bronze medalist Benjamin Kigen (8:05.12 and Commonwealth Games silver medalist Abraham Kibiwott (8:05.72) need to be at their best to counter Ugandans and Kenyan-born Americans in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase.

With the absence of Tokyo Olympic Games champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco, Kenyans will no doubt win this race. A surprise package would emerge from Kenyan-turned-Bahraini John Koech (8:09.62) and Amos Serem (8:20.26). Kibiwott’s season best mark of 8:07.81 makes him the hot favourite.

100m Olympic silver medalist Fred Kerley when he arrived on May 4, 2022 for the Kip Keino Classic on May 7,2022. [Courtesy] 

Hammer throw Men: 4:24pm

The contest would narrow down to Poland’s duo of Pawel Fajdek (83.93) and Wojciech Nowicki (82.52). But Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Kokhan (80.74) can as well pose a threat. Kenya’s Dennis Sakawa (57.22) is also in the mix. Fajdek, a four-time world champion with a season best of 82.98 would wear the crown.

200m men: 4:42pm

Bostwana’s Olympic 400m bronze medallist Isaac Makwala (19.77) stands high chances. Kenya’s Mike Mokamba (20.48), the son of 1988 Olympic 200m athlete Elkana Nyangáu, would also challenge him. Stiff challenge is expected from Canada’s Aaron Brown (19.95) and Kyree King (20.15) of USA.

3,000m steeplechase women: 5:03pm

It’s a dogfight here pitting two-time world under-20 steeplechase champion Celliphine Chespol,(8:59.8), Uganda’s Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai (9:01.45) and former Africa champion Norah Jeruto (8:53.65), now competing for Kazakhstan.

Experience can also slide Purity Cherotich Kirui (9:16.91), the 2014 Commonwealth Games champion, to victory. However, she must be in top form to stop Chespol, who has a season best of 9:31.1.

Women 200m: 5:22pm

Olympic 100m silver medallist Christine Mboma (21.78), who has a season of 21.78 seconds appears the favourite. She must be fast off the blocks to stop America’s Dezerea Bryant (22.18), Bass Gina (22.58) of Gambia and Rhoda Njobvu (22.68) of Zambia. Kenya’s Millicent Ndoro lacks experience.

100m men: 5:55pm

This is the race that whet’s fans’ appetite. It is a clash of the world’s cheetahs -Ferdinand Omanyala (9.77), Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs (9.80) of Italy and silver medalist Fred Kerley (9.84) of USA. The world will come a near standstill.