WU20: Kiprotich ready to rumble with budding sprinters

At a time when Kenya's prospects in sprints look to be getting better, teenager Elikanah Kiprotich has caught the wave and is promising to deliver when he lines up for the World Under-20 Athletics Championship gunning off on Wednesday 18 August at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

During the junior World event's national trials held at Kasarani, the 18-year-old sprinted to a 47.22 victory, a personal best time in 400m, beating the qualification standard set at 47.35 to secure his slot at the global stage by merit. Kennedy Kimeu, a late addition to the Kenyan team, replacing Edwin Kipyegon heads to the championship with a PB time of 46.45 and a season-best time of 47.13.

To show just how eager he was to don the national colours on what will be his first assignment for the country, Kiprotich, ran a 200m final race alone. He had missed the final as he was held up at the anti-doping Station and his appeal to race was successful. 

At the almost-empty Kasarani, after the official order of business was done, he was at the blocks, alone, 20 minutes after he had led his southern team to win the mixed relay. He clocked 22.34 to miss the qualifying time set at 21.38 and finish fourth in the 200m ranking. 

The Mogonga High School student was set to be the only representative in the 400m distance as his closest competitor Joshua Ndombi missed the qualification time by 0.22 seconds as he came home in 47:57. 

Kiprotich says his qualification in the distance has just ignited a fire in him and he is working towards delivering in what will be his biggest stage yet. Despite the tough competition expected at the August 17-22 showpiece, the youngster believes he has what it takes to make it to the podium. 

Kenya U20 athletics team set to hit camp ahead of World Championship

"I know I can run a better time than I did during the trials and that's what my coach and I are currently working on. The last 50m of my races are giving me trouble. My take-off and drive are okay so if I can perfect my finishing kick I will be able to achieve more. I am working on my endurance now. When we head to camp I will then focus on perfecting my finish," he said.

Coming into the national trials, he had faced Emmanuel Mutua at the pre-trial held at Nyayo, clocking 48.03 to settle for second place behind Mutua. 

"Knowing I would be meeting him (Mutua) at the trials pushed me to work even harder as I did not want to miss out on the World event. He has been a great competitor at the events we have met and if he was at the trials I am confident we would be having two representatives in 400m," Kiprotich offered. 

Kiprotich's star is on the rise and he hopes to live up to his dreams and follow in the footsteps of his idols Emmanuel Korir and World 400m record holder Wayde van Niekerk.

The youngster started out as a 100m and 200m runner while still in primary school, something he continued when he joined high school at Tugen Estate. He would later transfer to Mogonga High School, an institution synonymous with athletics and Volleyball in the Nyanza region. 

"I knew I loved athletics and by the time I was joining high school, I had resolved to take it seriously. When I moved to Mogonga, the coach Haron Onchong'a encouraged me to move to 400m which is working well for me," he explained. 

Two years ago, Lythe Pillay emerged as African U18 champion in the men’s 400m in his first-ever competition outside South Africa, and he will be hoping to extend his dominance to the global stage when he gets on the track in Nairobi.

The youngster will no doubt be buoyed by the experience he has garnered as a member of South Africa’s 4x400m senior team which saw him competing at the World Relays in Silesia and Olympic Games in Tokyo. Pillay’s personal best of 45.53 set in March ranks him as the fastest entrant in the men’s 400m field in Nairobi.

Next to the 17-year-old on the top lists is Wendell Miller of the Bahamas who clocked a lifetime best of 45.81 while racing to a second-place finish behind World and Olympic champion Steven Gardiner at the Bahamian Championships. This is no mean feat for the 18-year-old who has a personal best of 20.61 over 200m and will face the likes of Jamaica’s Jeremy Bembridge (45.94) and Anthony Pesela of Botswana (46.10) when the men’s 400m takes off.

Additional reporting by World Athletics.