Chebet, Rotich fire warning shots at final AK relay leg
Winnie Chebet, the 1,500m African champion, and world 800m bronze medallist Ferguson Rotich both impressed during the third and final leg of Athletics Kenya relays series held on Saturday at the Nyayo Stadium.
Competing in 800m, Chebet humbled national 400m champion Mary Moraa for victory. She timed 2:03.72 ahead of Moraa who clocked 2:04.32 with Mueni Karimi finishing third in 2:08.16.
The 30-year-old athlete based in Rongai Athletics Camp said she was using the race in her build-up towards the Tokyo Olympics.
“I am still a 1,500m runner. So I am still in contention for the Olympics in 1,500m but today I was working on my speed work. My focus now is the upcoming Diamond League meetings,” she declared.
Rotich, 31, defeated 800m Commonwealth Games champion Wycliffe Kinyamal to win the third heat of the men’s race in 1:45.64. Kinyamal was second in 1:46.09 while Abel Kipsang placed third in 1:46.36.
After the win, Rotich announced his immediate target to make it to Team Kenya for the World Relay Championships slated for Poland in May with the trials set for March 26-27.
The Kericho-based athlete, alongside Job Koech, Sammy Kibet and Alfred Kipketer, bagged gold medal in 4x800m relays at the 2014 World Relays in Bahamas.
“This was my first 800m race this season and you could see the field was equally strong and winning today was not easy,” said Rotich.
National 100m champion Mark Otieno also impressed in 200m when he won his heat in 20.86 with Mike Mokamba (20.96) and Tazama Kamanga (20.71) also emerging top in their respective heats.
Maximilla Imali ran the show in the women’s 200m, winning the first heat in 24.54 as Monica Safania stormed to victory in the second heat in 25.22. Evangeline Makena clocked 25.25 to win the third heat.
Moraa emerged top in women’s 400m when she clocked 52.63 ahead of Gladys Musyoki (54.63) as Zablon Ekwam won the men’s race in 45.97
After this, action will now shift focus to the trials which will culminate in the selection of the Kenyan team for the global competition set for May 1-2 in Silesia, Poland.
