Kenyans lead African charge

Commonwealth Games and Africa champions Caleb Mwangangi, Joyce Chepkirui and Julius Yego from Kenya will go for glory at the IAAF Continental Cup as the championship draws to a close today in Marrakech, Morocco.

World 1,500m bronze medallist Hellen Obiri, who is also the Africa champion, will battle it out in the metric mile race while 2014 Diamond League Series 3,000m steeplechase winner Jairus Birech will be fielding in his specialty.

Fresh from winning the 2014 Diamond League Series 5,000m trophy, Mwangangi, the 2014 World Indoor 3,000m winner, will battle it out in men’s 3,000m final.

MWANGANGI LEADS TEAM

It will be an interesting affair as Mwangangi, who won the Commonwealth Games and Africa 5,000m titles last month in Glasgow and Marrakech respectively, leads the Africa team against defending champion, Kenyan-born Bernard Lagat from the USA. 

The 27-year-old Mwangangi will team up with Eritrean Abarar Osman Adem, the Africa 5,000m bronze medallist, in the Africa team.

Mwangangi has had a great season. During the Poland World Indoors in March, he produced a good finishing kick to take the title in 7:54.94. At the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, Mwangangi dyed his hair gold ahead of the 5000m final and the bold announcement of intent was rewarded when he out-kicked compatriot and rival, Isaiah Kiplangat Koech, to clinch gold in 13:12.07.

A week later, he was in Marrakech for the African showpiece and he claimed his second title in a week, winning in 13:34.27 with Koech again coming in second as he secured his place in the African team for the Continental Cup at the same Moroccan resort city.

He would wrap up his Diamond League season in Zurich with victory in 5,000m, in a personal best 12:59.17.

“I call on my fans to pray for me. It will be an interesting rematch with Lagat after I beat him at the World Indoors,” said Mwangangi.

Birech is clear favourite after his exploits at the Africa championship, a week after winning silver at the Commonwealth Games.