Previews15 Jul 2016


Preview: men's 10,000m – IAAF World U20 Championships Bydgoszcz 2016

FacebookTwitterEmail

The men's 10,000m at the IAAF World Junior Championships (© Getty Images)

For champion distance runners Haile Gebrselassie, Daniel Komen and Ibrahim Jeilan, winning the 10,000m at the IAAF World U20 Championships was the platform upon which their future success was built, but who will carve their name alongside the greats at this year’s edition?

It’s best to start with the East African contingent, for all 15 past winners of this race have come from the Rift Valley.

Kenyans have taken this title on seven occasions and their duo look set to launch a strong challenge to make it eight in Bydgoszcz. Rodgers Chumo Kwemoi came out best at their ultra-competitive national U20 championships in Nairobi last month, running 28:26.76 to defeat Ronald Kiprotich Kirui by two seconds. Kirui will join Kwemoi in Bydgoszcz as the pair look to send the title back to Kenya for the first time since 2010.

However, Eritrea’s Aron Kifle is sure to present a formidable challenge, having run the fastest 10,000m in the world by an U20 athlete this year with his national U20 record of 27:27.04 in Leiden in June. The previous week Kifle lowered the Eritrean U20 5000m record to 13:13.39 in Huelva, showing the kind of form which may see him send this title back to Eritrea for the first time. He will be joined in Bydgoszcz by teammate Mogos Shumay, who ran 27:56.98 in Stanford back in May.

Uganda’s challenge will be led by Jacob Kiplimo, who clocked a world U18 lead of 28:26.30 in Castelporziano, Italy in May. Ethiopia will be represented by Gizachew Hailu and Walalegn Amedework. Hailu finished a close second at their national U20 championships in Assela last month, running 29:31.04 behind race winner Jemal Ymer.

Cathal Dennehy for the IAAF

Pages related to this article
DisciplinesCompetitions
Loading...