Mucheru makes Africa team for Continental Cup
Julius Bungei (left) and Bonface Mucheru compete in a past race. PHOTO | FILE | NATION
What you need to know:
- Only four Kenyan women to represent the continent at championships
- In what could be a tactical move, World 5,000m bronze medallist, Kenya’s Isaiah Kiplangat, who won silver at the Africa event, will team up with Africa 10,000m champion Amlosom Tesfalset Nguse from Eritrea in 5,000m.
- Eunice Sum (800m), Joyce Chepkirui (10,000m), Hellen Obiri (1,500m) and Janet Kisa (3,000m) are the only Kenyans in the women team
Africa 400m bronze medallist Boniface Mucheru of Kenya is in the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) Africa team for the 2014 IAAF Continental Cup due September 13-14 in Marrakech, Morocco.
Mucheru, who finished fifth in 400m hurdles during the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, will team up with Isaac Makwala from Botswana, South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk and Saviour Kombe from Zambia. Larbi Bourrada is a reserve.
It’s Makwala, who won the Africa title in Marrakech in a championship record time of 44.23, beating van Niekerk and Mucheru to silver and bronze in 45.00 and 45.07 respectively. Makwala would then anchor his team to victory in the 4x400m.
Interestingly, World Indoor 3,000m champion Kenya’s Caleb Mwangangi, who recently won the Commonwealth Games and Africa 5,000m titles, has been slotted in men’s 3,000m race alongside Eritrean Abarar Osman Adem, who won 5,000m bronze at Africa championships.
In what could be a tactical move, World 5,000m bronze medallist, Kenya’s Isaiah Kiplangat, who won silver at the Africa event, will team up with Africa 10,000m champion Amlosom Tesfalset Nguse from Eritrea in 5,000m.
That effective rules out the anticipated battle in 5,000m between Mwangangi and Olympic and World champion Mo Farah from Britain. Farah will now face Nguse, Kiplangat and Kenyan born Bernard Lagat.
World 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop, who settled for silver at the Africa Championships, will team up with Africa and World Indoor 1,500m champion Ayanleh Souleiman from Djibouti in the metric mile race.
Africa champion and 2014 Diamond League Series 3,000m steeplechase leader Jairus Birech will team up with Ethiopian Chala Beyo Techo, who finished fourth at the Africa event.
Commonwealth Games and Africa champion Julius Yego will spearhead Africa’s assault in javelin throw alongside former Africa champion Ihab Abdelrahman from Egypt.
Eunice Sum (800m), Joyce Chepkirui (10,000m), Hellen Obiri (1,500m) and Janet Kisa (3,000m) are the only Kenyans in the women team.
