Kenya: Semenya Up Against Jepkosgei And Jelimo

Chris Musumba

3 June 2011

Nairobi — At least 34 elite Kenyan athletes will be in action at today’s Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, the fourth stop on the Samsung Diamond League series.

The huge number is precipitated by the fact that the meeting is sponsored by USA sportswear giant, Nike, and many of the Kenyan athletes have signed up with the firm as their kit sponsors.

The athletes are also expected to tie up their contracts for the new season while in Oregon, Nike’s headquarters.

USA’s Allyson Felix, still pondering the possibility of a 200m-400m double bid at the World Championships, will further hone her 400m skills, while the men’s 100m will feature former Olympic and world champion Justin Gatlin, who returns to the meeting after serving a four-year doping suspension.

Since returning to competition last year Gatlin has raced mainly at low-key meetings, but Prefontaine meet director Tom Jordan said the American had earned a place in this Diamond League field that also includes Jamaicans Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Steve Mullings.

Jordan said he expected Gatlin to be well received by the athletics-mad fans in Eugene.

The main focus in Eugene – in Kenyan terms – will be the 800 metres women’s race where a unique clash of titans is on the offing as controversial world champion Caster Semenya, Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo and Janeth Jepkosgei, the world and Olympic silver medallist, face off in the two-lap race.

The trio have all not been consistent and it’s hard to pick the winner.

Semenya is making her season debut outside South Africa.

She ran at the Dakar Grand Prix last week in Senegal winning in 2:00.61 while Jepkosgei was at the Rome Diamond League meeting, competing in the 1,500m where she wound up eighth in 4:04.87. It will be Jelimo’s first race over the distance this year.

The trio have yet to clock the 1:59.80 time set for qualification for Daegu and Jelimo confirmed that getting the time (1:59.80) was on her agenda.

Other Kenyans in Eugene include Olympic 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop who will defend the Bowerman one mile race title.

Jelimo, who has been battling with an ankle injury, was last seen at a top international event during last year’s Prefontaine Classic but she is determined to pick up the pieces and take the battle to her opponents as the athletics world will be treated to the biggest two lap race for women this season.

Jelimo did not feature in the first three Diamond League meetings in Doha, Shanghai and Rome.

Jelimo is leading an array of Kenyan athletes who departed on Tuesday for the USA, all eying to improve on their personal best times or seeking to get the required qualification time for the World Championships to be held in August in Daegu, South Korea.

“I am back. I will be running for the first time in my speciality since the season started. I have been running in the shorter sprint races to gauge my speed and longer races to test my endurance. I believe, it is time to go to my area of specialisation and hope to do well,” said Jelimo.

Other Kenyans in Eugene include Olympic 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop who will be defending the Bowerman one mile race title.

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