Kenyan stars 'could miss' Monaco Diamond League

Julius Yego competes in javelin during the Kenya Police Athletics Championship on May 18, 2017 at Nyayo Stadium. PHOTO | CHRIS OMOLLO |

What you need to know:

  • It will be Yego’s third appearance in the Diamond League this season.
  • Hellen Obiri, the winner of the 5,000m in Shanghai and Rome and a Mile Race in London, is favourite to win the women’s 3,000m race.

Several Kenyans stars are likely to miss the Monaco Diamond League on Friday as their passports are still with the British Embassy for the World Championships visa application.

Among the athletes who cancelled their flights on Tuesday after failing to get their passports are World javelin champion Julius Yego, who is also the Olympic javelin silver medallist, World 1,500m silver medallist Elijah Manangoi and Olympic 800m bronze medallist Margaret Nyairera.

“We are still waiting for the passports. If I am to miss this one, then I am out of contention since the Diamond League format is different this year,” said Yego, the former Diamond League record holder.

Rongai Athletics Club coach Ben Ouma said he had to change flights for his athletes like Manangoi. “We can only wait. We were told we shall have them by 3pm Wednesday,” said Ouma. “The only athlete who travelled is Timothy Cheruiyot.”

NEW FORMAT

The Diamond Race system used in previous years, in which athletes accumulated points through the season with double points in the finals, was replaced with a championship-style format in which earlier meets act as qualifying meets for the finals. The top eight or twelve athletes, depending on the event, will qualify for the final legs in Zurich or Brussels.

The athletes are part of six Kenyan Olympics and World Championships medallists, who are headed for Monaco that will mark their last competitive event ahead of the London World Championships due in two weeks’ time.

It will be Yego’s third appearance in the Diamond League this season having finished seventh in Rome and Doha in 82.19m and 81.94m respectively.

Yego retained his Kenya Police Service title with a throw of 78.40 before hauling the best throw on Kenyan soil of 87.97m during the World Championships trials.

Olympic 800m bronze medallist Margaret Nyairera and 2013 World 800m champion Eunice Sum are set to take on Olympic and World 800m champion Caster Semenya and Burundian Francine Niyonsaba in women’s 800m for the third time this year.

The only time Semenya, who is undefeated, came close to losing was in Eugene where Nyairera pushed her to the limit. Nyairera clocked 1:57.88 against Semenya’s 1:57.78.

Niyonsaba cashed on the absence of Semeya and Nyairera to win in Lausanne with the second fastest time of 1:56.82.

The most interesting battle will be in men’s 1,500m where Manangoi, the winner in Doha, Stockholm winner Cheruiyot and World 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop are in the mix.

Kiprop has the fastest time in Monaco of 3:26.69 from his victory in 2015 followed by Silas Kiplagat’s victory of 3:27.64 in 2014.

Kiplagat won’t be in Monaco but the rest of the field looks good with Ronald Kwemoi, who won the Bowerman Mile in Eugene, and Olympic 1,500m champion Matthew Centrowitz, adding a twist to the race.

Whether the Olympic 3,000m steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto will take to the track in Monaco is left to be known after he failed to finish his race at the Rabat Diamond League race on Sunday as Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali claimed his second victory after Stockholm.

Four-time World champion Ezekiel Kemboi highlights to field that also has 2015 Diamond League Series winner Jairus Birech and World Under-20 champion Amos Kirui.

Hellen Obiri, the winner of the 5,000m in Shanghai and Rome and a Mile Race in London, is favourite to win the women’s 3,000m race where she faces among others African Games 5,000m champion Margaret Chelimo and 2015 World Cross Country champion Agnes Jebet among others.