Cheruiyot angles for grand return at Kip Keino Classic
Andrew Coscoran of Team Ireland, Oliver Hoare of Team Australia, and Timothy Cheruiyot of Team Kenya compete in the Men’s 1500 metres heats on day two of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 16, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon.
What you need to know:
- Timothy Cheruiyot is eyeing a memorable return when he competes in 800m at the Absa Kip Keino Classic on Saturday
- It will be Cheruiyot’s first competitive event since reaching the 1,500m semi-finals at the World Athletics Championships on August 20, last year
- Cheruiyot, who competed in his second Kip Keino Classic last year, finishing third in 800m in 1:44.99 will be using the two-lap race to gauge his speed
The 'chariot' is back, promising to sweep anything in its wake.
Timothy Cheruiyot, the Tokyo Olympics 1,500metres silver medallist, is eyeing a memorable return when he competes in 800m at the Absa Kip Keino Classic on Saturday.
It will be Cheruiyot’s first competitive event since reaching the 1,500m semi-finals at the World Athletics Championships on August 20, last year in Budapest, Hungary.
Trouble started for Cheruiyot at the warm up track almost 10 minutes to the call room when his knee snapped to experience some piercing pain.
The 2019 world 1,500m champion was able to run the heats, finishing sixth in the second heat but still advanced to the semi-finals where he settled ninth hence failing to reach the final.
Great Britain’s Josh Kerr won gold in 3:29.38 as the Norwegian duo of Jakob Ingebrigtsen (3:29.65) and Narve Gilje Nordås (3:29.68) went for silver and bronze respectively.
“As I was stretching at the warm up track, ready for the heats my knee snapped. I still went to the track and qualified for the semis. The team doctors managed the situation but I couldn’t push myself to the limit in the semis,” said Cheruiyot, the inaugural 2020 Kip Keino Classic 1,500m winner.
“I started treatment immediately with doctors telling me to be patient,” said Cheruiyot, who resumed proper training in February this year,and almost gave up in the battle to resume training and contest for a place at the Paris Olympic Games.
Cheruiyot, who competed in his second Kip Keino Classic last year, finishing third in 800m in 1:44.99 will be using the two-lap race to gauge his speed ahead of the season.
“Anxiety is always there when coming from a layoff. You feel bad when people have resumed training when you are battling with rehabilitation.
“I now want to test my confidence and speed on Saturday and see how it goes,” said the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games 1,500m silver medallist.
Cheruiyot, who has won five Diamond League finals with four back-to-back from 2016 to 2019, will be looking to open his Diamond League season in Doha on May 10.
The 28-year-old Cheruiyot won last in Doha in 2021 and has a personal best of 3:30.48 from his victory in Monaco Diamond League in 2021.
“I am also looking forward to a great season and as you know I have unfinished business at the Olympics. But first things first, I have to clear the Kenyan trials that are the toughest,” said Cheruiyot
Cheruiyot’s coach Ben Ouma said that his athlete is doing well and has slowly been regaining his confidence since resuming training two months ago.
“Kip Keino is part of his speed work and we can only hope and pray for good health,” said Ouma.
Cheruiyot will go head-on with defending champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who is also the world 800m silver medallist, Tokyo Olympics 800m silver medallist Ferguson Rotich and 2022 world indoor 1,500m bronze medallist Abel Kipsang.
Wanyonyi won last year in World Lead and Meet Record time of 1:43.32, beating Commonwealth Games champion Wycliffe Kinyamal and Cheruiyot to second and third places in 1:43.66 and 1:44.99 respectively.
African Games 800m bronze medallist Tumo Nkape, Kethobogile Haingura from Botswana and Algerians Khaled BenmahdI and Hethat Yassine will also be in the two-lap race.
