Kenya pick World Youth team
What you need to know:
- Youth surpassed qualifying times by far, talent runs deep, says AK official Korir
- Interestingly, Tarbei and Alfred Kipketer, who won World Youth 800m title in Donesk, Ukraine, come from the same village in Mosoriot.
Africa Youth champions Vincent Kipyegon and Sandra Chebet eased to comfortable victories in their respective 2,000m steeplechase races to qualify for the World Youth Championships due on July 15 to 19 in Cali, Colombia.
Willy Tarbei and Africa Youth gold medallist Kumari Taki also took the Nyayo National Stadium red tartan track by storm, winning their 800m and 1,500m races in 1:44.51 and 3:37.54 respectively.
The four were part of a squad of 26 athletes picked to represent Kenya at the World Youth Championships. The team proceeds to camp on Sunday in Nairobi.
Kipyegon, who finished fourth in 3,000m steeplechase at the Africa Junior Championships in March in Addis Ababa before winning the Africa Youth crown in Mauritius with a championship record time of 5:37.05, clocked 5:27.17 to triumph on Wednesday.
“I am not only going for victory in Cali but also the World Youth record,” said Kipyegon.
“I want to graduate in style by reclaiming the title for the country before focusing on junior events proper next year.” The world record time of 5:19.99 was set by Ethiopian Meresa Kahsay in Donesk 2013 in Ukraine.
Kipyegon, a Form Three student at Sotit Secondary School, South Rift, will team up with Geoffrey Rotich. The two combined well for a 1-2 finish in Mauritius.
Rotich timed 5:30.59 to finish second. “We shall plan well for the race and lock out our rivals especially from Ethiopia,” said Rotich.
TTWIN SISTERS SHINE
A day after her twin sister, Africa Youth champion Emily Chebet won girls’ 3,000m, Sandra followed suit with an emphatic 6:16.19 victory, beating Celphine Chepteek Chespol in 6:24.27.
“We must uphold our dominance in this race and victory is a must for us,” said Sandra, a Form Three student. “We shall make it another family affair with two gold medals, God willing.”
Tarbei won the explosive 800m final in 1:44.51, stunning Africa Youth champion Kipyegon Bett (1:44.55) at the line as both made it to Cali.
“It’s thrilling to win with such a time. This inspires me more to go for victory in Cali,” said Tarbei, who trains with Olympic and world 800m record holder, David Rudisha.
Athletics Kenya chairman in charge of youth development, Barnabas Korir said: “Most of these youth surpassed the qualifying times by far and that shows how deep the talent is in the country,” Korir said. “Clocking 1:44 in 800m and 3:37 in 1,500m is just incredible.”
Interestingly, Tarbei and Alfred Kipketer, who won World Youth 800m title in Donesk, Ukraine, come from the same village in Mosoriot.
