Kipketer, Ndiku reign supreme in Beijing

What you need to know:

  • An array of Kenyan elite athletes will be on show at the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Rabat, Morocco due June 14.

Commonwealth Games 3,000m steeplechase champion Jonathan Muia Ndiku and World Junior 800m champion Alfred Kipketer bounced back to win their specialty at the IAAF Challenge in Beijing on Wednesday.

Ndiku, who finished third in 8:10.72 at Shanghai Diamond League on Saturday, clocked 8:11.64, beating compatriot Clement Kemboi Kimutai in 8:12.98 as Kenyan-born John Kibet Koech from Bahrain settled third in 8:14.75.

Kipketer was in top form, winning the two-lap race in 1:45.45 which atoned for his defeat in Doha on Friday.

Kipketer finished third in 1:44.53 in Doha, losing the battle Ayanleh Souleiman from Djibouti in 1:43.78 and Kenya’s Ferguson Rotich in 1:44.53 respectively.

Another Kenyan-born Bahraini athlete Abraham Kipchirchir Rotich came home second in 1:45.81 as American Erik Sowinski (1:45.82) settled third.

KENYAN HORDE

Meanwhile, an array of Kenyan elite athletes will be on show at the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Rabat, Morocco due June 14.

Kenyan runners will be out in force in the middle distance races, including the 2011 World 1,500m silver medallist Silas Kiplagat and 2014 Diamond League series 3,000m steeplechase winner Jairus Birech.

Kiplagat is fresh from winning in Shanghai where he set a world leading time of 3:35.29 as Birech also won in another world leading time of 8:05.36.

Former world 10,000m and 5,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot, Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Sally Kipyego and Janet Kisa will highlight the women’s 3000m.

YEGO IN ACTION

Commonwealth Games and Africa javelin champion Julius Yego will take on the former Africa champion, Egypt’s Ihab Abdelrahman at the event. Also part of the entertaining javelin field will be Russia’s 2013 World Championships bronze medallist Dmitry Tarabin and Czech Rupublic’s Petr Frydrych.

National 800m champion Fergusson Rotich and London Olympics 800m bronze medallist Timothy Kitum will battle it out in men’s 800m race that also has Poland´s Adam Kszczot.

The women’s two-lap race features Russia’s London 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist Yekaterina Poistogova and Belarus’ 2014 European champion Maryna Arzamasova.