Chepngetich targets new personal best in Monaco
What you need to know:
- But watch out for USA’s Emma Coburn, the 2017 world champion, Kazakhstan’s Daisy Jepkemei and Ethiopia’s Werkuha Getachew among others.
- This is the 10th leg of the Diamond League. The series will next go to Lausanne on August 26, Brussels on September 2 before ending on September 7-8 in Zurich.
Kenya’s golden girl of middle distance running Faith Chepngetich returns to action Wednesday some 23 days after reclaiming her women’s 1,500m World Athletics Championships title in Oregon last month.
Chepngetich, a two-time Olympics champion, will line up in the Monaco Diamond League in her specialty.
She hinted at targeting to improve her personal best that stands at a very impressive 3 min 51.07 sec.
“My season has been good so far. As usual I want to make it better when I compete,” she said.
Last year, she missed breaking the world record time of 3:50.07- held by Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba, clocking 3:51.07 in the very same Monaco meet the talented Kenyan runner will race in Wednesday.
Chepngetich will compete with some of the best athletes in the world over the distance including USA’s Sinclaire Johnson (personal best 3:58.85), Ethiopia’s Hirut Meshesha (3:57.30) and Uganda’s Winnie Nanyondo (3:59.56).
In the men’s 800m, two-time Commonwealth Games champion Wycliffe Kinyamal will line up against compatriot and world champion Emmanuel Korir and Olympics silver medallist Ferguson Rotich.
“I still have some races before I conclude my season. I just want to run well in these remaining races,” said Kinyamal.
He will face Canada’s Marco Arop, USA’s Bryce Hoppel and Benjamin Robert of France.
Kenyans will also feature in the men’s 3,000m race where world 5,000m silver medallist Jacob Krop will square it out with Commonwealth Games 5,000m silver medalist Nicholas Kimeli, Cornelius Kemboi, Commonwealth Games 10,000m silver medallist Daniel Simiu and Bethwell Birgen.
Krop said that even though he was impressed with his performance, he feels he can do better.
“I’m working hard to make sure that in the next global event, I will be in the podium as a winner.”
Newly crowned Commonwealth Games women’s 3,000m steeplechase champion Jackline Chepkoech will face Virginia Nyambura in the same race in Monaco.
But watch out for USA’s Emma Coburn, the 2017 world champion, Kazakhstan’s Daisy Jepkemei and Ethiopia’s Werkuha Getachew among others.
This is the 10th leg of the Diamond League. The series will next go to Lausanne on August 26, Brussels on September 2 before ending on September 7-8 in Zurich.