Another convincing 800m win for Pamela Jelimo in Oslo (© Getty Images)
The Kenya Trials for the Beijing Olympics will be held on Friday (4) and Saturday (5) in Nairobi minus World Junior 800 metres champion David Rudisha who picked an injury recently.
The Trials are expected to be tough as ever and upsets will be a plenty as a new crop of runners stake their claim for Olympic glory.
Kenya will select a team already being hailed as potentially as full of promise as another one which competed in Asia 20 years ago, at the Seoul Olympics of 1988, when Kenya won medals at all races from the 800m to the Marathon.
Athletics Kenya has announced that the first two athletes to cross the finish line will be automatically selected with coaches deciding on the third athlete.
Jelimo and Jepkosgei
Nairobi has been a beehive of activity in the last three days as many runners remained behind after the national championships last week.
"This (the Trials) is another hurdle which does really matter," said World 800 metres champion Janeth Jepkosgei who hopes to book an automatic ticket to Beijing together with Pamela Jelimo. "I am aiming for the big one (Olympics)" she added after a training session session at the Nyayo National Stadium on Monday (30).
Her main rival Jelimo who is the Africa champion and one of the biggest finds this season is returning to the two lap event after doing the 400m during the national championships.
"I am taking this competition very seriously and will only talk of Beijing after going through the qualification rounds," Jelimo said on Wednesday (2). "I have been running the 400m to improve on my speed because I expect very stiff competition."
Unlike in the past, there is more than passing interest in Kenya’s women runners who this year could finally match their male counterparts on the Olympic medal podium especially considering that Jelimo has taken the European circuit by storming with her season leading times.
400m Olympic return
Elizabeth Muthoka, is another interesting character, the first Kenyan woman to qualify for the Olympic 400m in 24 years after breaking the national record during the first day of the national championships with a personal time of 51.53 seconds. Ruth Waithera who reached the Olympic final in 1984 was the last Kenyan woman in this event at the Games.
Muthoka, also the national champion, is expected to win on Saturday if her current form is anything to go by. Being a possible entrant in the 4x400m team together with Jepkosgei and Jelimo, the trials will produce the other three runners before Kenya puts up a strong case for representation.
Kirwa, Bungei…but no Rudisha
Minus the injured Rudisha, the men’s 800m field will still be crowded with World champion Afred Kirwa out to show his Osaka win was no fluke. He is among a group of 11 runners on a provisional start list for the two laps which was released yesterday by Athletics Kenya.
2006 World Indoor champion Wilfred Bungei who missed a chance to defend his title this year following a freak injury is determined to go to the Olympics to chase a title Kenya last won in 1992.
5000m and 10,000m crowded with talent
Former World 5000m champion Eliud Kipchoge is looking forward to gaining another chance to meet the likes of former countryman, Bernard Lagat of the United States who is the reigning World champion at 1500m and 5000m, at the Olympics. To get to Beijing in the 5000m Kipchoge must first face 2006 World Junior 10,000m silver medallist Joseph Ebuya, 2005 World 10,000m bronze medallist Moses Mosop, Isaac Songok, Moses Masai, and Commonwealth Games 5000m champion Augustine Choge. This one is an extremely hard race to predict.
Mosop and Kipcgoge have also been entered in the 10,000m although the practicality of this plan remains difficult because of the crowded schedule of events.
However, the ever improving Martin Mathathi, third in the World Championships last year, and his other Japan-based colleagues Josphat Ndambiri and World Half Marathon record holder Sammy Wanjiru, who has yet to confirm his participation, bring freshness to the Trials at this distance.
Former national champion John Korir, Joseph Ngatuny and Charles Kamathi, the World 5000m champion in 2001, are some members of the old guard who will spice up competition.
Kenya’s Olympic Steeplechase hegemony set to continue?
In Kenya’s parade event the 3000m Steeplechase, three of Kenya's best Ezekiel Kemboi, the 2004 Olympic champion, Brimin Kipruto, the 2007 World champion, and Paul Kipsiele Koeach, the 2004 Olympic bronze medallist and current world season leader, will face a legion of talent including former national champion Richard Matelong, last year’s World bronze medallist.
Peter Njenga for the IAAF
