AK boss wants improvement
Athletics Kenya vice president Paul Mutwii has given a damning verdict on the performance witnessed during the leg of the AK Relay Series on Saturday.
The event was characterised by morning showers and a generally chilly day at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi was too slow for Mutwii’s liking.
Mutwii, who chairs the competitions docket, says the distance for the races were made longer intentionally to test the athletes’ endurance.
“A majority of the athletes will have to pull up their socks if they are to take their performance to the required standards.
We intentionally ensured the first leg races were made longer like 1,600m and 1,000m instead of 1,500m and 800m respectively.
The good thing is there is slightly more time before we go to the second leg,” Mutwii assessed.
Mutwii nevertheless was impressed with the turnout, especially in the men’s competitions attributing this to desire by athletes to get in shape for the season.
“There is a lot at stake starting with the indoor championships that will be commencing soon. So, athletes will be looking for all avenues to try and get in shape,” he added.
Men’s 1,000m was very competitive with Noah Kibet beating Cornelius Tuwei by three seconds at 2:20.3.
Nicholas Kiplagat,of Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) came third in 2:21.04.
The women’s equivalent only attracted seven competitors, with Vivian Chebet winning in 2:46.7, ahead of Judy Jepkoech and Penina Wangari who finished in 2:48.3 and 2:49.4 respectively.
Men’s 1,600m was equally crowded with Alex Kipsang of Kenya Police carrying the day.
He won the race in 4:02.00 ahead of Nyahururu Athletics Club’s
Tony Kemboi who clocked 4:04.5 and Elias Ngeny who was third in 4:04.7. The race attracted 17 competitors.
The women’s category was less competitive, as only three runners battled it out.
Nancy Sang of KDF won in 5:34, beating Kenya Police’s Jackline Cherono and Margaret Nduta who timed 6:20 and 6:26 respectively.
The men’s 150m had a record eight heats owing to the huge turnout of athletes.
National 100m Champion Mark Otieno had the best time of the day in 15.5 seconds.
Zablon Ekwan timed 15.8 while Gilbert Osure timed 16.0 seconds for the third best time of the day.
AK will revert to normal distances in the second leg planned for January 23 and third legs set for February 6 as well as the national trials set for March 3.
The trials will be used to select team Kenya for the 2021 World Relay Championships set for Silesia, Poland from May 1 to 2.
In the women’s race, Prison’s Doreen’s Waka emerged first in a time of 18.4.
Kenya Police’s Monica Safania finished second in 18.7 seconds while Joy Akinyi was third in 18.9 seconds. The women’s 150m had three heats.
Mary Moraa won the women’s 5,00m (400m) in 71 seconds ahead of Sylvia Chesebe 72.9 seconds and Janet Chepkoech who clocked 75.0 seconds.
fontaine Classic held in Stanford.
Timothy Cheruiyot
World 1,500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot made it two wins in a row as he stormed to victory at the second leg of the Diamond League series held in Stockholm, Sweden.
Cheruiyot picked from where he left at Monaco as he led from gun to tape to clock 3:30.25 ahead the in-form Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway who came home second in 3:30.74.
In the Monaco meet Cheruiyot beat off competition by Ingebrgisten to finish in 3:28.45.
In the last leg of the Doha Diamond League he came a distant eight in 1:46.78.
Leonard Bett
Bett grabbed silver after clocking 8:08.78 after he finished behind Soufianne El Bakkali who grabbed gold after finishing on 8:08.04 in Monaco.
Ferguson Rotich
Rotich clocked 1:44.16 to win the men’s 800m at the 2020 Doha Diamond League meeting.
In 2018 he won the 1,000m at the Bauhaus Galan in Stockholm,Sweden, the sixth stop on the 2018 Diamond League circuit, in a world-leading time of 2:14.88, well clear of runner-up Sadik Mikhou (2:16.09).
Rotich’s time was also a new personal best by two seconds and the fastest 1,000m clocking in the world since the 2016 season. With his victory in Stockholm, 2nd place in Rome, and 5th place in Doha.
Nicholas Kimeli
Kimeli finished second to Cheptegei over 5,000m in Monaco in a PB of 12:51.78 as the Ugandan star won in a world record of 12:35.36.
Joshua Cheptegei
Cheptegei smashed Kenenisa Bekele’s long-standing record in the race, finishing at 12:35.36 in the Monaco Diamond League. Bekele’s record has been standing for 16 years, since 2004.
Jacob Kiplimo:
Uganda’s Kiplimo out-kicked Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway in 7:26.64 and 7:27.05 to go No.8 and No.9 on the world all-time rankings.
