Olympic, world champs to spice up meet

By Joseph Ngure

The participation of Olympics and world champions in the forthcoming Confederation of African Athletics Championships will give the biannual event a positive profile as opposed to previous events.

The championships, the third international event for the country after the fourth All Africa Games and 35th World Cross-Country Championships in 1987 and 2007, will parade some of the country’s high profile runners, who previously preferred competing in much bigger competitions.

The presence of Olympic medallists Ezekiel Kemboi, Richard Mateelong (3,000m s/chase), Asbel Kiprop, Nancy Jebet Langat (1,500m), Janeth Jepkosgei (800m) and others is an added advantage to athletics fans that normally follow the performance of these stars on television.

Although many athletes have been seen competing locally during trials and selection, witnessing them run against the best from the continent will spice up the event that is expected to be attended by athletes from over 50 countries.

Current greats like Vivian Cheruiyot, World 5,000m champion, 10,000m queen Linet Masai and Janeth ‘Eldoret Express’ Jepkosgei will colour the women’s middle and long distance event where continental opponents Ethiopia have also lined up their best.

But the spectators will miss what could have been a mouth-watering rivalry in the women 800m, after Berlin world champion Caster Semenya of South Africa decided not to take part.

The race could also have had different colours if Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo could have been in contention. The champion, who also won the IAAF Golden jackpot, dropped out of the finals at last month’s national trials.

Another performance that could have seen the history of the biannual event re-written was to be witnessed in the men’s two-laps event, where David Lekuta Rudisha was billed roar.

But as in the women race, the absence of World indoor champion Abubaker Kaki of Sudan reduced the contest to a two-man duet where Rudisha will be fighting it out with world champion Mbulaeni Mulaudzi of South Africa.

As the cut down to the continental event, to be held from July 28 to August 1 enters the homestretch and foreign teams continue tickling in, new Africa champions are warming up and athletics fans eagerly training their eyes.