Kenyan duo Oketch and Tinega qualify for final in World Athletics Indoor Championships

Kenyan sprinters Mercy Oketch and Brian Tinega have qualified for the finals of their respective races at the ongoing World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland.

Oketch, who is competing in women’s 400 metres at the global track and field indoor championship for the first time, clocked 51.90 seconds to finish second in the second semi-final race behind winner Lurdes Gloria Manuel from Czech Republic, who won in 50.96 on Friday night.

Oketch, who qualified for the final as one of the fastest losers, becomes the first Kenyan woman to reach the final of the women’s 400m final at the World Athletics Indoor Championships. The final will be run on Saturday at 10.40pm.

Oketch, who is the national record holder both indoors and outdoors over 400m, is only the second Kenyan woman to compete in the 400m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships since Esther Kabayan in 1987.

Home runner Natalia Bukowiecka (51.41), Dutch Lieka Klaver(51.23) and Henriette Jaeger (50.90) from Norway won their semi-final heats to also qualify for the final.
Oketch had clocked 51.57 to finish second in the sixth heat and automatically qualify for the semi-finals on Friday.

Tinega timed 45.75 seconds to finish second behind Christopher Morales of Canada in 45.35 in the second semi-final heat.

Chris Robinson (45.46) from the USA, Hungarian Attila Molmar (45.82), and USA’s Khaled McRae (45.39) won their respective semi-final heats to set up an explosive final on Saturday at 8.34pm (Kenyan time).

Tinega, who becomes the first Kenyan man to compete in 400m indoor final in 10 years, qualified among the four fastest losers alongside the winners of the four semi-final heats who automatically went through.

In 2016, Boniface Mweresa became the first Kenyan man to compete in the 400m indoor final.

On Friday, Tinega had clocked 46.21 to finish second in the fifth heat of men's 400m to qualify for the semis.

Morales Williams was quickest in the opening round of the men’s 400m, winning his heat in 45.51. 

The USA champion Khaleb McRae won his heat (46.09), while European indoor champion Attila Molnar and 2022 world indoor champion Jereem Richards both finished second in their heats, doing enough to progress to the next round.