Fraser-Pryce, Sha'Carri Richardson to face-off in Nairobi

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who is regarded as one of the greatest sprinters of all time, will grace the Kip Keino Classic, a World Athletics Continental Gold Tour event on May 7, this year.

Also coming for the championships is American sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson, who will go head-on with the 35-year-old Jamaican, an eight-time Olympic medallist and 10-time world champion.

At the same time, Olympic 3,000m steeplechase champion Peruth Chemutai and defending champion Kenya’s Celliphine Chespol will face-off in the women's 3,000m steeplechase at the Kip Keino Classic.

Kip Keino Classic meet director Barnaba Korir disclosed that the two sprinters are among the rich field of athletes who will take the blocks in the women’s 100m that will be one of the highlights in the one-day Gold Tour event at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

“The Three athletes have confirmed that they will grace the event and we are much delighted to welcome them at the home of athletics. We are happy to attract such a quality field,” said Korir.

Shelly-Ann won the 100m titles at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics and the 4x100m gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Shelly-Ann rose to prominence at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, becoming the first Caribbean woman to win gold in the 100m. At the 2012 London Olympics, she became one of only four women in history to defend an Olympic 100m title.

After injury affected her season, she won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Thirteen years after her first Olympic win, she won a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first athlete to medal in the 100m at four consecutive Olympic Games.

At the World Athletics Championships, Shelly-Ann is one of the most decorated athletes in history, winning 10 gold (including one indoor title) and two silver medals.

The Jamaican is the only athlete to win four world titles in the 100m in 2009, 2013, 2015 and 2019. Her win in 2019 at the age of 32 made her the oldest female sprinter, and the first mother in 24 years, to claim a global 100m title.

In 2013, she became the first woman to sweep the 100m, 200m and 4×100m at a single World Championship, and was voted the World Athlete of the Year.

The 22-year-old Richardson qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics with a 100m time of 10.86 seconds at the United States trials but tested positive to cannabis to miss the Olympics after she was handed a one-month ban.

Richardson rose to fame in 2019 as a freshman at Louisiana State University, running 10.75 seconds to break the 100m record at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Championships. This winning time made her one of the 10th fastest women in history at 19 years old.

In April 2021, Richardson ran a new personal best of 10.72 seconds, becoming the sixth fastest woman of all time and the fourth fastest American woman in history.

The 22-year-old Chemutai upset the form books to win one of two Uganda’s gold medals at the Tokyo Olympic Games with victory in women’s 3,000m steeplechase.

The only other victories for Uganda at the Olympics before the Tokyo Summer Games were by John Akii-Bua in 400m at the 1972 Munich Games and Stephen Kiprotich in marathon at the 2012 London Games.

Then Chemutai handed them their third gold medal before Joshua Cheptegei’s exploits in the 5,000m at the Tokyo Games.

The women’s 3,000m steeplechase final at Tokyo Olympics was the best ever assembled.