PreFontaine Classic to host six Kenyans for AK's Olympic 10,000m selection

The fifth Diamond League event this year - Prefontaine Classic - has confirmed that it will host selection events for this year’s Athletics Kenya 10,000m Olympic teams.

The men’s and women’s events, as per a communication from the event organizers on Sunday, will now be added to the meet program.

“We are thrilled that Athletics Kenya has once again chosen the PreFontaine Classic to host the selection event for their 10,000m Olympic team,” Pre Classic co-Meeting Director Jody Smith is quoted as saying on their official portal. “Pre Classic is committed to bringing the world’s best athletes, and the world’s best athletics competitions to Hayward Field. Hosting the selection event for such a [prestigious team is fully aligned with that commitment.”

This will be yet another moment where Kenya, who still have no suitable venue to achieve qualifying times for the Olympic Games with Nyayo and Kasarani stadiums shut, will use the PreFontaine Classic to qualify 10,000m teams after doing so in 2012.

Headlining the team will be last year’s World Outdoor silver medalist Daniel Simiu Ebenyo, who will be joined by two-time World Cross-country Championships gold medalist Beatrice Chebet, winner of her first track race this season in the Doha Diamond League event.

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World's second-fastest 10K runner, Emmaculate Anyango Achol, who placed fourth at the 2024 world cross country championships, is also part of the team that also has Grace Loibach.

Joining Ebenyo on the men’s team is 2024 World Cross-country bronze medalist Benson Kiplangat and Samwel Chebolei, who has a personal best of 27:10.06 in the event.

The Olympic qualifying standard for the men’s 10,000m is 27:00, while the women’s is 30:40.