Hellen Onsandon Obiri was the only Kenyan runner to receive a world card for this year’s Commonwealth Games to be staged in Australia’s Gold Coast in 5,000m race.
The lucky Obiri, who won the 2017 IAAF world Championships in London, England, will lead a Kenyan contingent for the 2018 world indoor championships in Birmingham that starts on March 1st to 4th.
The 2016 Olympic 5,000m silver medalist was named by Athletics Kenya on Monday evening, leading three women runners, Olympic 800m bronze medalist Margaret Nyairera and steeplechaser Beatrice Chepkoech.
Chepkoech will be competing in 1,500maway from her 3,000m steeplechase where she finished fourth in both the Rio Olympics in 2016 and last year’s World Championship in the steeplechase and started well this year in the indoor season having finished second behind Obiri in Ostrava.
Obiri has already been active in the ongoing indoor season, having started off with a 8:38.81 at the Czech Indoor Gala in Ostrava late January, and finished third at the last week’s in Torun, Poland having clocked 4:05.4.
Nyairera, one of Kenya’s only two medallists from Portland two years ago will hope to improve the colour of her medal as she lines up in the same race.
Emmanuel Korir will lead Kenyan men in fight to bring medals from former colonial master’s land. The USA based runner will compete in 800m race with the hope of making amends.
Korir will be with Bethwell Birgen and Davis Kiplagat with the last two competing in 3,000m.
Birgen who finished second in the Düsseldorf leg of the World Indoor tour behind Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia will hope to translate that same form in Birmingham.
Birgen had a relatively okay season in last year’s IAAF Diamond League though success indoors hasn’t been as good.
Kiplagat will be making his bow representing the country in an indoor championship, with his best previous performance being an outdoor gold in the Commonwealth Youth Games and a gold medal at the 2016 Africa Youth championships in Mauritius.
They will hope to follow in the footsteps of Caleb Ndiku who picked gold at the event during the 2014 championship in Sopot, Poland.
Vincent Kibet who reached the final in the men’s 1,500m in Portland finishing fifth will return for the same event and hopes for a better show this time round.
Team:
Men: Emmanuel Korir (800m), Vincent Kibet (1,500m), Bethwell Birgen, Davis Kiplagat (3,000m)
Women: Margaret Nyairera (800m), Beatriepkoech (1,500m, Hellen Obiri (3,000m)