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Hellen Obiri, Beatrice Chepkoech, Conseslus Kipruto and Timothy Cheruiyot will return tomorrow to the venue where they won world titles last year, Doha’s Khalifa International Stadium, for the final match of this season’s Wanda Diamond League (WDL).
The coronavirus pandemic has caused the first Diamond League program under its new sponsors to be radically altered, and the venue that has traditionally hosted the first meeting of the season will see Kenya’s four Doha gold medalists prove themselves at relatively unknown distances.
Obiri, the 5000m world champion, will take on a stellar field in the final event of the women’s 3000m, with rivals such as Chepkoech, world champion and 3000m hurdler record holder.
They are two of five medalists from four different disciplines at the Doha World Championships who will participate in the race, with the others being two other Kenyans: 5000m silver medalist Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi and 10,000m bronze medalist Agnes Tirop , and an Ethiopian 1500m Bronze Medalist Gudaf Tsegay.
Obiri tops this year’s 5000m list with 14 minutes 22.12 seconds he ran in the first WDL meeting of the season in Monaco on 14 August.
Chepkoech ran 14: 55.01 in those 5000m in Monaco, and on September 13 she finished second in the 3000m steeplechase at the ISTAF meeting in Berlin in 9 minutes and 10.07 seconds.
Other top-level runners in the women’s 3,000m include 2015 Kenyan steeplechase world champion Hyvin Kiyeng and U-20 world champion Beatrice Chebet, and Great Britain’s European 5000m silver medalist Eilish McColgan and medalist. 1500 m European bronze medalist Laura Weightman.
World and Olympic steeplechase champion Kipruto will make his season debut in what will be his first 1,500m race in five years.
The 25-year-old Kenyan will be joined by his two fellow World Championship medalists from last year, Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia and Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco, who have set personal records this year of 3 minutes 35.67 seconds and 3: 34.51 respectively. .
The course also includes 20-year-old Selemon Barega from Ethiopia, 5000m world silver medalist, and Australian Stewart McSweyn, who just set a 3000m Oceania record in Rome, has the best of the course of the season. faster (3: 31.48) and be a formidable opponent.
Meanwhile Cheruiyot, the 1500 meter world champion, descends to the 800 meter.
“I chose to do the 800m here because I wanted to test my speed endurance,” the Kenyan, undefeated since May 2019, told WDL today at a press conference.
“I know I have stamina, but I’m a bit lacking in my final speed so that’s what I want to work on.
His opponents will include Kenya’s 800-meter world bronze medalist Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich and the man who finished one place behind him in Doha, Bryce Hoppel of the United States, who has the second fastest 2020 time of 1 minute. 43.23 seconds to his credit.
Also in the mix will be Britain’s 2016 European bronze medalist Elliott Giles, who posted a personal best of 1: 44.68 in Marseille on September 3.
Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, who added the 6.18 meter pole vault world record that he set indoors earlier this year by breaking the world’s best 6.15 meter outdoor mark at the last WDL meeting. in Rome last Thursday (September 17), it will be the last competitive Outing of a year in which he has been undefeated.
The 20-year-old Swede’s opponents will include 33-year-old former French world record holder Renaud Lavillenie and United States double world champion Sam Kendricks.
And the latter is well aware of the magnitude of the task he faces.
“If you want to play this game, especially against Mondo, you have to be prepared to play harder than anyone in history,” Kendricks said.
Faith Kipyegon, Olympic 1500m champion from Kenya, follows the trend and moves to a less familiar distance in Doha.
Kipyegon, who has recently fallen slightly under the 1000m world record twice, will compete her first 800m over five years against a field that includes her compatriot Eunice Sum, the 2013 world champion.
Double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah and multiple world medalist Marie-Josee Ta Lou will renew their rivalry in the 100 meters.
“We all had the opportunity this year to restart, refocus and work on our weaknesses,” said Thompson-Herah, adding that she was, however, “a little surprised” to run 10.85 seconds, the fastest time of the season, in winning the 100 meters in Rome.
“At first I was a bit surprised because I hadn’t run for two weeks or more, but I knew I was capable of running fast, although not 10.85 because I had been working and got the result.”
Ta Lou followed Jamaica’s home in Rome in the best of a season of 11.14 seconds.
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