Eyes on Kenyan stars as qualification window closes

As the qualifications window for the Tokyo World Championships came to a close three days ago, focus is now on athletes who have met the standards.

By August 24 when the window closed, hopes of a number of athletes joining the Kenyan camp have been dashed.

Others who hit the qualification marks before the official closing date have already earned their spots and getting ready for the Tokyo World Athletics Championships set kick off from September 13.

Kenya had hoped to send the first woman javelin athlete to the Tokyo showpiece but the Irene Chepkemboi could not rank top enough in the world to qualify.

The javelin sensation had her fingers crossed. By late last month she was ranked 32nd and hoped to remain in that position but by the time the window closed she was 40th.

Chepkemboi, a Texas Christian University in the US had in June expressed hopes of punching a ticket to Tokyo but indicated that in case she doesn’t qualify she would immediately begin improving her throws for upcoming global shows.

At this year’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) she threw the Kenyan national record of 60.31m on June 12.

Chepkemboi was third behind Missouri’s Valentina Barrios (62.00m) and Manuela Rotundo representing the University of Georgia (60.35m).

At the national trials, Chepkemoi was among athletes placed on the waiting list. Also in the waiting list was triple jumper Winny Bii who had hopes on making history in the field event.

By Sunday evening, Bii was 38th in the world rankings.

Cornelius Kemboi and Mathew Kipsang, the automatic qualifiers at the national trials in Nairobi on July 22 toasted to superb 5000m performances in Oordegem, Belgium earlier this month.

Kemboi triumphed in the 5000m at the IFAM Oordegem, confirming his place in Team Kenya.

He timed an impressive 12:57.80, which is faster than the 13:01.00 qualifying mark for the men.

Kemboi had been placed on the waiting list of athletics stars who qualified to fly the Kenyan colours in Tokyo next month but were still chasing qualification times.

Kipsang who had powered to an automatic qualifying spot at the national trials also hit the required time in Oordegem, about two weeks to the close of the qualification window.

The long distance track star placed sixth in 12:58.61 to join Kemboi and Olympian Nicholas Kimeli in the chase for World Championships glory next month.

It meant that Kemboi and Kipsang, who alongside Chepkemboi and Bii were waiting for the qualifications period to end to know their fate, successfully secured tickets.

The Diamond League final in Zurich on Friday and Saturday might not bring changes to Team Kenya to Tokyo because a number of potential athletes who were tipped to impress at the winner-take-all show were missing in the fields yesterday.

Diamond League winners in Zurich stood a chance of securing a wild card to World Championships.

Meanwhile, Ferdinand Omanyala, who holds the African 100m record, is injured and has pulled out of this week’s Diamond League final in Zurich, the last event before the Tokyo world championships.

The 29-year-old is one of 17 Kenyans to have qualified for Zurich where the globe’s top athletes will be compete on Wednesday and Thursday.

“I regret to inform you that I will be unable to participate in the Diamond League final,” Omanyala said on Monday, citing recent deep muscle, and hip and glute pain.

“I am optimistic about my recovery and anticipate being fully fit for Tokyo (September 13 to 21),” he said in a statement posted on Instagram. Faith Kipyegon, the three-time world 1500m champion, and 10000m champion Beatrice Chebet will be competing in Zurich.

They join the Olympic 800m champion and Diamond League winner Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who has chalked up four wins with the fastest times this season.

- Additional reporting by AFP