Nairobi Star (Nairobi)
Stanley Magut
27 May 2011
The 2007 World 5,000m bronze medallist Priscah Jepleting is among the star-studded cast expected to compete at the final Athletics Kenya/National Bank of Kenya meeting this weekend at Kamariny Stadium in Iten. Jepleting, who specialises in the 5,000m, will race in the 1,500m at the Eldoret meet.
In an interview yesterday, Jepleting said she will use the 1,500m race to build on her speed for the 5,000m race, which she intends to run at national trials and eventually at the world championships in Daegu, South Korea, if she makes the team. “Running the 1,500m here today is part of my plan to build up on my speed for the 5,000m. You realise, the calendar this year is packed and we must prepare well if we are to make the team to the World Championships and All Africa Games,” she said.
“This time round, I want to start my preparations early because I am confident I will make the Kenyan team to South Korea,” she said. Jepleting said running before the home fans at Kamariny Stadium today and tomorrow will offer her psyche to go for bigger things at the nationals and world championships. Jepleting has a personal best time of 14.35.30 in the 5,000m and says her priority at the moment is to attain the qualifying mark for the World Championships .
“I know world class athletes will flood here to chase for the qualifying mark but I am ready for the challenge,” she said.
And true to Jepleting’s words, Kamariny will be the centre of attraction as top athletes kick-start this year’s campaign that will culminate in the World Championships and all Africa Games.
However, the Kamariny meet coincides with Rome and Hengelo Grand Prix and this means some of the stars will be away. Olympic champion Asbel Kiprop (1,500m), Alfred Yego (800m), Boaz Lalang (800m) and Milcah Chemos (women’s 3,000m SC) ran in Rome last night while Micah Kogo and Mike Kigen will be racing in Hengelo. But even in their absence, the Kamariny show still promises fireworks with a lot of surprises expected.
While it’s tricky to predict who will run what event, top runners will no doubt be present here and the upstarts will all be out to upset them before home fans. One of the key attraction will be the women’s 800m, where the Olympic champion will be racing. Many athletics enthusiasts will be keen to find out what happened to her after taking the world by storm in 2008. Jelimo has been racing in the 200 and 400m races in a bid to build her speed for the big races.
Her manager Barnabas Korir has hinted that Jelimo will also be running in the Prefontaine Classic next month in USA and her performance this weekend will determine whether she is ready for the big stage. Ugandans are also expected to take advantage of the short distance across the border to grace the occasion as it was the case with the Mumias and Kisii meetings.
Athletes at the Kip Keino High Performance Training Centre will also add the much needed international flavour to the event. Burundian Saverin Sahinkuye and Mali’s Moussa Camara will run in the men’s 800m together with Chauncy Master of Malawi who is also running in the 1,500m. Tony Wamulwa of Zambia and Ndiho Vianney of Burundi are lined up in the men’s 1,500m.
Daniel Komen, who is the AK Keiyo sub branch chairman and host, said considering the calibre of athletes expected for the meeting, they expect most of them to meet the qualifying standards.
AllAfrica – All the Time
Excerpt from:
Kenya: Stars Battle It Out At Kamariny