Team Kenya ready to rumble in Algeria

What you need to know:

  • Head coach John Kimetto has however said that they are not under pressure to retain the titles.

Team Kenya is targeting another individual and team titles sweep when the Africa Cross Country Championships go down Saturday evening in Chlef, Algeria.

Head coach John Kimetto has however said that they are not under pressure to retain the titles.

Kimetto also noted on Friday that the cold and rainy weather in Chlef, located 208km south west of the Algerian capital Algiers, won’t affect the team.

“Our preparations were top notch and that is why we are not under pressure,” said Kimetto.

“I have a good team that is ready to fight so as we deliver no matter the conditions.”

The weather in Chlef is expected to be cold and rainy with temperatures ranging from 12 degrees to 16 degrees today, which is a contrast from the 2016 Championships in Yaoundé, Cameroon where the conditions were hot and sunny.

Kenya has won all the individual and teams titles in the last four editions save for 2012 when they lost both individual and junior men’s titles to Ethiopia.

Muktar Idris’s victory in 2011 spurred Ethiopia to both titles as Kenya dominated in 2012 Cape Town, 2014 Kampala and 2016 Yaoundé.

Kenya has only three athletes making it to Chlef from the team that swept their continental rivals aside in Yaounde: Mirriam Cherop, who is out to defend her junior women’s 6km title, Sandra Chebet and Winfred Mbithe.

Mbithe, who is the 2017 World Cross Country universal relay gold medallist, will compete in the relay event in Chlef though she won bronze in junior women’s race in Yaoundé.

FINISHED SECOND

Chebet, who competed in the junior race but finished out of the medal bracket in Yaoundé, finished second in senior women’s trials to book her ticket to Chlef.

Kenya claimed virtually all the podium places with an exception of the senior men’s 10km race where Uganda’s Phillip Kipyeko took silver while Eritrean Aron Kifle claimed bronze in junior men’s 8km race.

With defending champion James Rung’aru failing to get a place in the team, Alfred Barkach will lead Kenya’s assault in senior men’s 10km battle alongside Emmanuel Bor, John Chepkwony, Joseph Bett, Julius Kogo and Bernard Kipkemoi.

Kenya will once again face arch-rivals Ethiopia, Uganda and Eritrea.

Stacy Ndiwa, who made a strong return from a two-year maternity break to win her maiden senior women's 10km race title during the trials, leads Kenya’s onslaught in the absence of defending champion Alice Aprot.

Ndiwa has a strong team that comprises Chebet, World Cross Country junior women’s bronze medallist Cellphine Chespol, Africa 5,000m champion Margaret Chelimo, veteran Perin Nenkampi and Rosemary Njeri.

Edward Zakayo and Stanley Waithaka, who won silver and bronze in 3,000m for Kenya at the World Under-18 Championships last year, will bank on their superb partnership in junior men’s 8km race.

“We have a good team and I am sure we can stage a clean sweep if we embrace team work,” said Zakayo.

Cherop teams up with World Under-18 1,500m bronze medallist Edinah Jebitok, Roselida Jepketer, Beatrice Chebet, Agnes Jebet and Helen Ekalale.

ORDER OF EVENTS (Kenyan time)

Junior women’s 6km race-4.30pm

Junior men’s 8km race- 5pm

Senior women’s 10km race- 5.35pm

Senior men’s 10km race- 6.20pm

Universal Relay-6.55pm