Five stars to watch at Kip Keino Classic
Athletics
By
Jonathan Komen
| May 10, 2023
The clock is ticking. And adrenaline levels are running high as the fourth edition of Kip Keino Classic meet, the World Continental Tour, gets underway at Kasarani Stadium on Saturday.
Standard Sports shares a ledger of the world's top track stars to watch out for.
Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon
She won the opening leg of the Diamond League in Doha, Qatar, in 3:58.57, last Friday
Last year, the two-time world and Olympic champion was looking to cap an undefeated season at 1500m, and a win in Zurich would seal her third Diamond League Trophy.
She has raced just once since the World Championships; in a world record attempt in Monaco, she came tantalisingly close to the mark with 3:50.37.
The two-time Olympic and world 1500m champion says has achieved what most of her peers just dream of.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
On Monday, she scooped World Sportswoman of the Year after winning a record fifth 100m gold at the World Championships in 2022.
Fraser-Pryce, who has won three Olympic and 10 world championship gold medals, called her award "one of the greatest honours of my career."
"When athletes have the spotlight, it's important the example we set is the best it can be. We have a responsibility to influence the next generation in a positive way," she said.
Sha'Carri Richardson
Sha'Carri Richardson earned her biggest win since the Tokyo Olympic Trials, and the most prestigious international race victory of her career at the Diamond League season opener in Doha on Friday. She has to prove her mettle as she lines up in the 200m contest on Tuesday.
Richardson, the sixth fastest woman in the world, won the 100m in 10.76 seconds, the world's best time this year.
That bodes very well for Richardson's chances at July's USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships, where the top three in the 100m are in line to qualify for August's world championships in Budapest.
Richardson went to Doha in good form, having run a wind-aided 10.57 on April 8, the fourth-fastest all-conditions 100m in history.
Ferdinand Omanyala
Ferdinand Omanyala, Africa's fastest man, will light up the men's 100m lineup against a legion of world-beating stars among them America's world 100m silver medalist Bednarek Kenneth and Olympic 4x100m silver medalist Teahna Daniels as well as 4x100m relay world champion Jerome Blake (Canada).
Early this week, Omanyala set a new African and State record in Men's 150m at the Atlanta City Games, Georgia, United States of America.
Omanyala clocked a personal best of 14.89 seconds after finishing the race in third place behind race winner Noah Lyles (14.56) and Erriyon Knighton who finished in the second position in 14.85.
Last month, Omanyala carried his fine form to the Botswana Golden Grand Prix, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold, meeting in Gaborone, Botswana, where he posted a sizzling 9.78 seconds that was not ratified since it was wind-assisted.
In February, Omanyala stunned the world as he beat Olympic 100m champion Marcell Jacobs of Italy in men's 60m dash at Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais in Lievin, France.
Omanyala stopped the timer at 6.54 seconds, smashing his own national record of 6.55 seconds he had set barely a week in the Mondeville Meeting in France.
Andersen Peters
Peters, a 24-year-old who got his start in throwing by hurling rocks at mango trees, is the two-time reigning world champion in the javelin.
He was eliminated in qualifying at the Tokyo Olympics. He will take on a strong field that includes homeboy and 2015 world champion Julius Yego.