Maia McCoy of the USA returns to Nairobi to defend her Absa Kip Keino Classic women’s 100m title.
The American sprinter, fresh from competing at the Addis Ababa Grand Prix in Ethiopia, where she finished fourth in the 100m, could not hide her joy of returning to Kenya’s premier meet.
“I’m excited and feeling good to be in Nairobi once again and currently I’m just following the instructions my coach Ken Harnden is giving me as we build up to a better season. Ethiopia was good, though I didn’t expect the high altitude, but I enjoyed the race,” said the University of Tennessee graduate.
“Last time I was in Nairobi, the crowd was great and it pushed me to do well and I believe this year will be much better.
“I didn’t even know we were going to compete under the lights, and that will make the race even more interesting,” said McCoy, who owns a personal best time of 10.97.
Last year, she stormed to victory at Ulinzi Sports Complex in a time of 11.21 ahead of her compatriot Destiny Smith-Barnet who clocked 11.29 while Egyptian Bassant Hemida was third in 11.49.
The meet record of 10.67 is held by Jamaican sprint queen Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and was set in 2022 at Moi International Sports Centre.
Coming back to Nairobi, McCoy is expecting stiff competition from a strong field that includes fellow Americans Gabby Thomas and Cambrea Sturgis.
McCoy expressed satisfaction with how her season was unfolding, noting that she was steadily gaining her rhythm and confidence with each race.
She said that the early part of the season was about sharpening her speed and execution, adding that the races she has competed in so far have provided a solid foundation as she builds towards her peak.
McCoy also competed in the 200m race in Addis, finishing third in 22.96.
Thomas, who is also going to race in Nairobi, won in 22.15 with Sturgis coming in second in 22.42.
With her eyes firmly set on the World Athletics Championships next year, McCoy emphasized that consistency and staying injury-free will be key as she works towards securing qualification and competing at the highest level on the global stage.
“I need to remain strong and improve on my performance so that I can get a slot to compete at next year’s World Athletics Championships, but first things first, let me tackle the Kip Keino,” she said.
