Sylvia Jerono Kemboi won the race walk as Double Commonwealth Games 800m champion Wycliffe Kinyamal and reigning 100m Commonwealth Champion Ferdinand Omanyala are hoping to make the cut into the Commonwealth Games team to defend their titles.
Kemboi won the 10,000m race walk in style after edging out Violet Chepkemoi and Caren Naliaka Simiyu who clocked 48:39.2, 49:53.4 and 50:54.5 respectively.
Despite their efforts, they failed to meet the qualifying standards to enter Glasgow. According to the rules, women should cross the finish line at 47:14.1.
Omanyala, who holds the African record in the 100m won in today’s heat during the national Athletics Kenya championships cum trials at the Nyayo national stadium to select the national team to travel to Glasgow, Scotland for the Queens Games come next month.
In the three day event that kicked off today, running all the way to Saturday will see the federation select at least 50 athletes to fly the Kenyan flag.
Omanyala won in heat One after clocking 10.22 seconds to qualify for the semifinals set for tomorrow just as his top contender Meshack Babu won in Heat Six at 10.27 seconds, while former national champion Mark Otieno clinched Heat Seven in a solid 10.36 seconds.
Kinyamal, who won both the 2022 and 2018 titles will be going for a hattrick of titles in the European nation.
Despite finishing second in heat 3 in 1:50.69, behind Larry Merin Kinyamal remained optimistic to defend his two lap race for the second time.
With four heats competed in day one to qualify into the semifinals,
Miriam Cherop won the women’s 5,000m semi-final one in 16:00.74 followed by Maureen Cheboor (16:00.78) while Caroline Kariba completed the podium in 16:02.38 while Nancy Jepkemei won the second semifinal at in 15:30.56 followed by Rebecca Mwangi (15:31.11) and Miriam Chemtai Kibet (15:31.68) to lead others into the final set for Saturday afternoon.
Dominic Abuda and Nancy Kanini were the winners in hammer throw in men and women respectively.
Abuda won the title in 60.27 followed by Reagan Oketch (52.01) and Adelbert Museveni’s 51.59 in women, Kanini threw 49.13 metres ahead of Lucy Anyango Omondi (47.78) and Josephine Kerubo Ondara at 42.38m. with the results, Kenya will miss out on hammer ythrow representation after missing the qualifying mark at 68.28m and 61.84 in that order.