Athletes race against time ahead of World Relays

Head coach Steven Mwaniki has said that the next two weeks will be crucial for Team Kenya athletes as they prepare for the World Relay Championships due May 1 to 2 in Silesia, Poland.

Mwaniki has said some key areas in the team need polishing if Kenya is to improve on its medals tally in Poland. In the previous edition of the championship  held in 2019 in Yokohama, Japan,  the team returned home with one medal, a bronze in 4x400m mixed relays.

Athletics Kenya on Friday named a final squad of 31 athletes and seven officials with Mwaniki as the head coach for the  world event.

Mwaniki on Saturday said that Kenyan athletes must strive  to avoid being disqualified, especially in the 2x2x400m event. In Yokohama, Kenya, who were among the favourites, were disqualified from the race in the 2019 event.

“This  was an event in which Kenya should have finished on the podium but the disqualification cost us dearly,” Mwaniki, who handled the team in Yokohama, said.

Kenya’s 2x2x400m team boasts experience. It has World 800m bronze medallist Ferguson Rotich and Commonwealth 800m champion Wycliffe Kinyamal, who are making their debut at World Relay Championships, and experienced Emily Cherotich.

Mwaniki noted that by finishing fourth in Yokohama, the men’s 4x200m showed that Kenya had great potential for a medal. He urged the team to go the extra mile  to win a medal in Silesia.

“We have a strong team full of experience. Nothing should stop us from finishing on the podium in Poland,” Mwaniki said.

Former national 100m champions Mark Otieno and Mike Mokamba, and Dan Kiviasi, who were at Yokohama, highlight the men's 4x200m team again. Others in the 4x200m team are newcomers Elijah Matayo and Hesbon Ochieng.

After claiming bronze in the 4x400m mixed relay in the 2019 edition of the championships, Mwaniki has urged his team to rise to the next level.

Mwaniki singled out US-based Emmanuel Kori, who on April 3 ran 46.06sec in 400m as a stand-out athlete. The team, which claimed bronze medal in 4x400m mixed relays during the 2019 Yokohama World Relay Championships, also has the national 400m record holder Hellen Syombua and Aron Koech.

The others in the mixed relay team are national 400m champion Mary Moraa, Sylvia Chesebe, Eglay Nalianya, Emmanuel Mutua and Stanley Kieti.

Syombua and Moraa will double up in the women's 4x400m team that also has Gladys Musyoki, who was in the 4x400m team at the 2019 event.

Athletics Kenya’s director in charge of competitions, Paul Mutwii, disclosed  that Kenya will compete in six events - the  women's 4x400m, 4x400m mixed relay, shuttle relay, men and women's 4x200m, and the 2x2x400m event.

"We don't have teams in men's 4x400m race, and the men and women's 4x100m because we didn't qualify," said Mutwii.

 "We have fielded our best athletes in the one-lap race in other events, notably the mixed relay and 2x2x400m and 4x200m," said Mutwii, adding that upon arrival in Silesia, the will request organisers to give the men's 4x400m team a chance to compete. The team leaves for Poland on April 29.

"The selection exercise was thorough. We made sure we did not leave out any deserving athlete," said Mutwii, adding that results from the Athletics Kenya Relay Series and Track and Field Meeting were vital in their team selection.

The athletes selected are currently in Tokyo Olympic Games "bubble" camp training at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

The team was picked after time trials on Friday at Kasarani.