Obiri up against on song Niyonsaba in Zurich

World champion Helen Obiri must overcome the unraveling force of Burundian Francine Niyonsaba to brighten her mood on the tracks when the duo lines up at the Zurich Diamond League on Wednesday night.

Obiri has lately cast a frustrated figure in her track overtures as she chases her first victory in months. The 31 year-old who opted to double in Tokyo Olympics 5000m and 10000m picked silver in the twelve and half race behind a charged Dutch woman Sifan Hasan before alarmingly fading out of medal contest in the women’s 10000m.

Her Diamond League display in Brussels yielded another disappointing outcome for the highly rated Senior Sergeant of the Kenya Defense Forces.

While Hasan will not be in Zurich's 5000m lineup on Wednesday, Obiri will still have to contend with the reborn Niyonsaba who has everything to prove to the world after making the painstaking switch from her favored 800m to long distance owing to World Athletics’ decision on women with elevated levels of certain hormones.

In Brussels Obiri came in third behind Niyonsaba and Ethiopian Taye Ejgayehu with the Burundian making herself comfortable in the long distance where her traits were said to be giving her no more advantage over other female competitors.

“It was fantastic to run here. I enjoyed every second of it and the national record is the cherry on top. Mentally and physically I was ready for today. Today´s result comfirms this. To be able to run for a crowd was funny. It really helped me. I still do not know if I like the long distance more than the 800m, but I love challenges. I won´t think too much about it because it is what it is. A good thing about it is that I have a lot to improve- I´m still learning and am sure that I can go a lot faster in the future. What´s next? Diamond League in Zurich,” Niyonsaba said after her victory in the last leg

There will be four other Kenyan women in the race including Lilian Kasait, Eva Cherono, Beatrice Chebet and Margaret Chelimo.

The men’s equivalent will also feature four athletes cast against the peerless Ethiopian Salemon Barega and his compatriot Yomif Kejelcha with enterprising Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen added into the mix.

Bethwel Birgen, Michael Kibet, Nicholas Kimeli and Jackob Krop are among twelve runners who will close the show at Zurich’s Sechseläutenplatz arena where seven of 32 Diamond League events will conclude.