Kipyegon to double, Korir earns wildcard as Kenya names Budapest worlds squad

NAIROBI, July 9 (Xinhua) 

Olympic champions Faith Kipyegon and Emmanuel Korir will return to defend their world titles at the Budapest 2023 World Championships in Hungary following the conclusion of the national trials on Saturday in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya.

Doha 2019 gold medallist Timothy Cheruiyot and Beijing 2015 winner Julius Yego are the former world champions that also made team with two-time world champion Conseslus Kipruto becoming the biggest casualty after he dropped out of the men's 3,000m steeplechase race.

Kipruto who won the London 2017 and Doha 2019 titles, will thus miss the biannual track and field showpiece for the first time in ten years, having also won silver at the Moscow 2013 and Beijing 2015 editions of the event.

African champion and record holder Ferdinand Omanyala, signed off the two-day event in style at Nairobi's Nyayo Stadium when he uncorked a 9.84-second victory in the men's 100m, the third fastest in the world this year, to state his intent on medalling in Hungary.

The Commonwealth champion Omanyala is keen on making amends for failing to qualify past the preliminary rounds of his event at Oregon 2022 last year after visa issues to the United States delayed his arrival in Eugene.

"Running in the Diamond League has made me faster and better and now I am looking at putting up more work over the next 40 days before the World Championships.

"I will have a medal in Budapest," the sprinter told reporters after charging to victory.

Wiseman Were (10.36) and Dan Kiviasi (10.38) came home behind Omanyala's slipstream but did not do enough to earn selection for Budapest.

Kipyegon, who ran two world records in the women's 1,500m and 5,000m last month, is the undoubted star in the team and will be going for the double in Hungary in an attempt to add to her world titles from London 2017 and Oregon 2022 last year after being selected for both events.

At the trials, the Beijing 2015 and Doha 2019 silver medallist in 1,500m opted to step up the distance, winning the women's 5,000m final on Friday in 14:53.90 ahead of Lilian Kasait Rengeruk (14:56.50) and Margaret Chelimo (15:07.49).

The trio alongside Diamond League winner Beatrice Chebet, who did not race at the trials, will represent Kenya in the women's 12 and a half lap race.

In the absence of Kipyegon, Nelly Chepchirchir (3:59.77) took the honors in the women's 1,500m final ahead of Brenda Chebet (4:03.00) and Edinah Jebitok (4:04.57) with the trio selected alongside the two-time champion in the Kenyan team.

In the men's 1,500m, Cheruiyot, who won silver at London 2017 before taking gold at Doha 2019, shrugged off recent injury and form worries to win his race in 3:34.01 and will be joined in the Budapest squad by runners-up Abel Kipsang (3:34.30) and Reynold Kipkorir (3:34.34) who filled the podium.

Olympic and world 800m champion Korir sat out the Kenyan trials with injury but received a wildcard ticket.

He will be joined by world Under-20 champion, Emmanuel Wanyonyi who continued his rich vein of form to win the men's 800m final in 1:44.09 ahead of Alex Ngeno (1:44.21) and Doha 2019 bronze winner Ferguson Rotich (1:44.71).

However, Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist Rotich, 33, will only take his place in the Budapest squad if he makes the qualifying time for the World Championships.

The women's 800m squad will be headlined by Diamond League champion Mary Moraa who set a national record of 50.38 on Friday when she stepped down to the 400m race.

Peninah Muthoni Mutisya (1:59.55) took the honor in the women's 800m final on Saturday to book her Budapest ticket with Vivian Chebet (2:00.30) and Naomi Korir (2:01.87) who finished in second and third also selected.

Korir, however, also needs to attain the qualification standard for the 2023 Worlds to travel with the team.

Men's 5,000m Diamond League winner Nicholas Kimeli is the only other athlete who will double in Budapest after also being selected in the longer 10,000m following his 27:29.8 victory at the Trials.

Following the trials, Athletics Kenya selected 57 athletes, 32 men and 25 women, for the Budapest team with 10 needing to meet the qualifying standards to travel.

Seasoned head coach Julius Kirwa will lead the team that is seeking to better their performance in Eugene, Oregon where they won two gold, five silver and three bronze to finish fifth overall and second in Africa behind bitter rivals Ethiopia.

Courtesy ; Xinhua