WU20: Kenya chase first medal on Championship opening day

As Kenya hosts the World Under-20 Athletics Championship at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, the Robert Ngiserei-coached Team Kenya will be chasing their first medal on Wednesday 18 August in men’s 3000m. 

The duo of Bernard Kibet and Daniel Kinyanjui line up against tough opposition in the field that has 17 athletes from 13 different countries among them the Ethiopian duo of Tadese Worku and Ali Abdulmena. 

The Ethiopian teenage sensation Worku will be the man to beat as he comes to the championship with a loaded CV. He is an established performer at the senior level, having already won the World U20 Cross-Country silver medal, last year, lowered his PB to 7:34.74 in Szekesfehervar in July. 

Abdulmena comes into the championship as the second-placed runner on the field with a personal and season-best time of 7:50.06. The Kenyan duo follows closely with Kibet who has run 7:55.01 this year, during the national trials finishing third on the log while Kinyanjui has a PB of 7:55.96 also from the trials. 

Morocco’s Yassine Laarj, an 8:02.83 performer this year, is next fastest, while the European challenge is led by Slovenia’s Vid Botolin who has clocked 8:04.23. Ugandan duo Dismas Yeko and Dan Kibet, who have both run 8:06 this year, could also spring a surprise. 

The Kenyan duo who train at Keringet Athletics Club in Nakuru, under coach Willy Kipngeno are likely to deliver Kenya’s first medal as the other finals of the opening day are pole vault where Kenya has no representation and the 4x400m relay where the chances of medaling are slim.