Kenya medley quartet eye title, world record
Ferguson Rotich Cheruiyot leads the men's 800 metres qualifying event at the 2013 IAAF World Championships at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow on August 10, 2013. FILE PHOTO | KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV |
What you need to know:
- Abednego Chesebe leads women’s side.
- New team targets time of 9min 15.56sec set by compatriots at 2006 Penn Relays in USA.
After winning the 4x 1,500m title in a world record time, Kenyans are still favourites to claim the new innovative medley race at the World Relays that end on Sunday night.
The new event that replaces the 4x1,500m will see countries battling it out in 1,200m, 400m, 800m, and 1,600m in the Bahamas.
Kenya has a complete new team from the one that competed in the 4x1, 500m as national 800m champion Ferguson Rotich, who was in the 4x800m team, spearheads the assault.
Rotich will tackle the 800m bit but its Abednego Chesebe, who will take off first in the 1,200m before handing over the baton to Joseph Phoghisio in 400m. Timothy Cheruiyot will then anchor the team in the 1,600m bit.
COACH DILEMMA
It remains to be seen whether head coach Sammy Rono will use some of the 4x800m athletes who will have competed the day before.
World junior and World Youth 800m champion Alfred Kipketer was scheduled to lead the 2012 London Olympics 800m bronze medallist Timothy Kitum, Jeremiah Mutai, Nicholas Kiplagat and Bernard Kipyegon in the 4x800m title defense at dawn on Sunday.
Poland have named Adam Kszczot and Marcin Lewandowski in both relays, as have Bahrain with 2009 1,500m world champion Yusuf Saad Kamel although the latter also have the accomplished 1,500m man Benson Seurei and junior 400m talent Abbas Abubakar Abbas to call upon.
Perhaps the challenge to the Kenyans will come from Germany, who have not entered the 4x800m.
The Germans have a squad that includes the fastest 1500m man in the world indoors this year, Homiyu Tesfaye, and the emerging 800m talent and former European junior champion Robin Schembera.
The USA, and Australia are other strong challengers.
The teams are targeting to break the medley world record of 9:15.56, set by the Kenyan quartet of Elkanah Angwenyi 2:50.8 (1,200m), Thomas Musembi 45.8 (400m), Alfred Kirwa 1:46.2 (800m) and Alex Kipchirchir 3:52.8 (1,600 m) at the Penn Relays in 2006.
Kenya’s medley team for the women’s race has Sylvia Chesebe (800m), who was in the 4x800m team that won silver last year in Bahamas, Selah Jepleting (1,600) and Virginia Nyambura (1,200m). Either Joyce Zakari or Francisca Koki will race in the 400m leg.
