Kipyegon leads Kenyan stars in Doha Diamond League
Faith Kipyegon from Kenya crosses the finish line of the 1500m women final at the Diamond League track and field meeting in Eugene on August 21, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Chepng'etich will feature in the 3,000m race in the season-opening Diamond League meet where she hopes to start her build up towards the 2022 World Championships.
- Cheng'etich, who has a a personal best of 8:23.55 in 3,000m, will use the race to build on her endurance as she plots to reclaim the World title which she lost to Dutchwoman Sifan hassan in Doha 2019.
Two-time Olympic 1,500 metres champion Faith Chepng'etich Kipyegon will kick-start her season on Friday in the Doha Diamond League meet at the Qatari capital.
Chepng'etich will feature in the 3,000m race in the season-opening Diamond League meet where she hopes to start her build up towards the 2022 World Championships.
Cheng'etich, who has a a personal best of 8:23.55 in 3,000m, will use the race to build on her endurance as she plots to reclaim the World title which she lost to Dutchwoman Sifan hassan in Doha 2019.
Kenya's 2018 World Under-20 5,000m champion Beatrice Chebet (8:27.49) will also be lining up for the race where she hopes to refine her speed ahead of the Africa Senior Championships slated for June 8-12 in Mauritius.
Chebet, who is currently training at Kiganjo National Police Training College in Nyeri, said that she is also seeking a ticket to the World Championships.
“I will be running just to improve on my speed. M target is just to run my personal best but it will also help me improve on my speed ahead of the Africa Senior Championships. My training has been good but there is still room for improvement,” said Chebet.
Other Kenyans in the race includes 3,000m steeplechase world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech (8:22.92) and Edinah Jebitok.
Kenyan-born Caroline Chepkoech (8:29.05), who is now representing Kazakhstan, Uganda’s Winnie Nanyondo (9:27.25), Burundi’s Francine Niyonsaba who has the fastest time of 8:19.08, Turkey’s Yasemin Can (8:33.29), Ethiopians Bertukan Welde (9:36.2) and Fantu Worku (8:30.76) complete the list.
World Indoor Championships 800m silver medallist Noah Kibet (1:44.88) will be up against compatriots Commonwealth Games champion Wycliffe Kinyamal (1:43.12) and Olympics silver medallist Ferguson Rotich (1:42.54).
Canada's Marco Arop (1:43.26), home boy Abdulrahman Balla (1:43.82), Australia’s Peter Bol (1:44.11), USA’s Erik Siwinski (1:44.58), Great Britain’s Daniel Rowden (1:44.09) and Abdirahman Hassan (1:45.33) are also in the mix.
World 1,500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot (3:28.28) will be hoping to start his season with victory in the Diamond League.
Other Kenyans in the race include Etyang Kamar (3:33.12), Abel Kipsang (3:29.56) and Charles Simotwo (3:30.30).
Ethiopians Taddese Lemi (3:31.90), Yomif Kejelcha (3:32.59), Samuel Zeleke (3:32.80), Qatar’s Ali Adam Musab (3:32.41), Australia’s Stewart Mcsweyn (3:29.51), Spain’s Ignacio Fontes (3:33.27) will be keen to spoil the party.
Fresh from winning the men’s 3,000m steeplechase race at the Kip Keino last weekend, Abraham Kibiwott will be out to show Olympic champion Suofiane El Bakkali from Morocco and Kenya's Benjamin Kigen (8:05.12), Leonard Bett (8:08.61) and Lawrence Kemboi (8:11.26) who is the boss in Doha.
