Mwaniki, Kiptum out to end Ethiopia's 10,000m dominance in Accra
Peter Mwaniki (left) takes part in Devolution Conference 5km race in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County on August 15, 2023.
What you need to know:
- Mwaniki, who finished fifth in 10,000m during the trials, replaced the trials winner Francis Abong Koumwa, who has been locked out for not having met the anti-doping requirements
- Kiptum, the 2023 Tokyo Half Marathon champion, finished second during the trials and has personal best 27:11.88 in the 25-lap race
- Experienced Hailemariyam Amare, the Africa 5,000m and 3,000m steeplechase champion, Gemechu Dida and Nibret Melak will lead Ethiopia’s assault
It’s almost three decades since Kenyan men tasted victory in 10,000 metres at the African Games where Ethiopia have won five of the last six editions.
Team Kenya captain, Julius Yego, the 2011 and 2019 African Games javelin champion, was only six when Josphat Machuka won the 10,000m title for Kenya at the 1995 Harare African Games.
The country’s athletes have struggled to stamp authority in the 25-lap race where their eternal rivals Ethiopia have wreaked havoc, winning every edition.
It’s only at the 2007 Algiers Games where Eritrea’s distance legend Zersenay Tadese won his country the first African Games athletics medal. He also became the first non-Kenyan or Ethiopian to win a medal in the men's 10,000m, achieving the feat in a games’ record time of 27:00.30.
The only time Kenyans came to winning gold was during the 2015 Congo Brazzaville, 2011 Maputo and 1999 Johannesburg where Lenard Barsoton, Bedan Karoki and David Chelule claimed silver medals respectively.
Kenyans failed to win any medals at the 2019 Rabat, 2007 Algiers and 2003 Abuja. Edwin Soi was the best placed Kenyan in fourth place at 2019 Rabat where Ethiopia’s Berehanu Tsegu won with fellow countryman Jemal Yimer going for bronze after Eritrea’s Aron Kifle interrupted with silver.
Will the Kenyan newbies Peter Mwaniki Aila and Evans Keitany Kiptum end the country’s long wait for the title?
That will be the question on Tuesday as Mwaniki, the reigning Kenya Defence Forces Cross Country champion, leads Kiptum against their rivals Ethiopia and Eritrea among others.
Mwaniki, who finished fifth in 10,000m during the trials, replaced the trials winner Francis Abong Koumwa, who has been locked out for not having met the anti-doping requirements.
Kiptum, the 2023 Tokyo Half Marathon champion, finished second during the trials and has personal best 27:11.88 in the 25-lap race.
Experienced Hailemariyam Amare, the Africa 5,000m and 3,000m steeplechase champion, Gemechu Dida and Nibret Melak will lead Ethiopia’s assault.
Meanwhile, Kenyan men and women sprinters found it tough to exit in the first round of their respective 100m heats.
The 2015 African Games 100m silver medallist Eunice Kadogo clocked 12.11 seconds to finish seventh in a heat won by Natacha Ngoye Akamabi from the Republic of Congo in 11.46.
The national 100m and 200m champion Esther Mbagari’s performance read from the same script to finish fifth in the fifth heat in 12.00, losing out to Nigerian champion Blessing Ogundiran in 11.65.
Gambian Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye, who won silver in 100m and gold in 200m at 2019 Rabat, posted the fastest times in the qualifying round of 11.35 to win the second heat.
Samuel Chege timed 10.73 to settle fourth in men’s 100m fourth heat won by Raphael Ngaguele Mberlina from Cameroon in 10.53 while Steve Odhiambo timed 10.72 also for fourth in the fifth heat that went to Ghanaian Benjamin Azamati in 10.54.
Hesbon Ochieng’s efforts also proved a cropper in the sixth heat where he also finished fourth in 10.63 as Nigerian Consider Emmanuel Ekanem reigned in 10.44.
