Kenya Names Star-Studded Athletic Teams For Worlds, Commonwealth Games

Last updated on June 28th, 2022 at 06:47 am

Five star-studded world champions are among the 45 athletes selected to represent Kenya at the 2022 World Athletics Championships scheduled to be held in July in Eugene, Oregon, in the United States.

Athletics Kenya (AK) named the athletic team after the conclusion of the two-day joint national trials for Oregon 2022 and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

Athletics Kenya Names World Champs, Commonwealth Games Teams

According to media reports, the World Championships will run from July 15 to 24. Commonwealth Games will run from July 28 to August 8. The athletes will participate in these tournaments.

Barnaba Korir, an Athletics Kenya Committee Member, said, “We wanted a very strong team in both events. The same team that will be in Oregon will head to Birmingham.” Kenya’s representative in Birmingham will be Wiseman Were.

Hellen Onsando Obiri, a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner, will double in the 5,000m and 10,000m in Oregon in July, but will not compete in Birmingham. The Olympics silver medalist is the reigning 5,000m World Champion. Obiri reportedly said, “Our focus will be working with the coaches to rectify our mistakes and work as a team to take on the Ethiopians.”

Beatrice Chepkoech (women’s 3,000m steeplechase), Ruth Chepng’etich (women’s marathon), Conseslus Kipruto (men’s 3,000m steeplechase), and Timothy Cheruiyot (men’s 1,500m) will return to defend their crowns at Hayward Field in Oregon.

Faith Kipyegon will only concentrate on the 1500m race at the World Championships. Kipyegon reportedly said, “I lost my title to Sifan Hassan in 2019 and I aim to go to Oregon and win it back for my country.”

In the women’s 1,500m, Kipyegon will be joined by 2018 African champion Winnie Chebet, who won Friday’s trial in 4:11.12, runner-up Edinah Jebitok (4:11.87), and Judy Kiyeng (4:13.41), who finished fifth but was given the wild card.