Kenyans eye victory in Doha Diamond League

Kenya's Conseslus Kipruto celebrates after winning in the Men's 3000m Steeplechase final at the 2019 IAAF Athletics World Championships at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on October 4, 2019. [Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP]

World champions Timothy Cheruiyot and Conseslus Kipruto will no doubt want to raise the bar in 800m and 1,500m respectively at the Doha Diamond League meeting today.

The world and Olympic 3,000m steeplechase champion Kipruto, who missed the opening leg of Diamond League series in Monaco in August after testing positive for COVID-19, will return to action after shaking off the virus. 

However, the 25-year-old Kipruto will be competing in an unfamiliar event in Doha, when he takes on compatriot Brimin Kipruto, Vincent Kibet and Bethwell Birgen in the men’s 1,500m event. 

“I am glad to have been declared fit to compete after missing the opening leg of the series. I am also excited to compete in the 1,500m, I am really looking forward to running the shorter distance on Friday,” Kipruto, who boasts a personal best of 3:39.57 in the 1,500m, told Xinhua on Tuesday.

Cheruiyot, the world 1,500m champion, will compete in 800m. The 24-year-old has a personal best of 1:43.11 in the event from August 2019 during the Kenyan national championships in Nairobi. 

He clocked an impressive 3:28.45 to win the 1,500m in Monaco, just four one-hundredths of a second outside his lifetime best. 

Cheruiyot will contest the event against fellow Kenyans including world 800m bronze medallist Ferguson Rotich and Commonwealth Games 800m champion Wycliffe Kinyamal.

Both Kinyamal and Rotich boast personal bests of 1:43.12 and 1:42.54 respectively in the 800m race. 

There will be an exciting lineup in women’s 3,000m. The event will consist of Kenyans 2019 world champions over 5,000m Hellen Obiri and Beatrice Chepkoech, 3,000m steeplechase winner.

Also in the mix will be Olympic 3,000m steeplechase silver medallist Hyvin Kiyeng and world 5,000m runner-up Margaret Chelimo.

The world 10,000m bronze medallist Agnes Tirop of Kenya will also spice up the 3,000m event. 

After running 2:29.15 in 1,000m in Monaco, narrowly missing the world record, Kenyan Faith Kipyegon, who is also the Olympic 1,500m champion, will return to her specialty, the 1,500m at the meet. 

Kenya's Beatrice Chepkoech competes in the Women's 3000m Steeplechase final at the 2019 IAAF Athletics World Championships at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on September 30, 2019. [Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP]