World braces for Omanyala, Kerley battle at Kip Keino Classic

Africa’s finest sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala will go head-to-head with Americans Olympic medallists Fred Kerley and Kenneth Bednarek in men’s 100 metres during the Absa Kip Keino on May 7 at Moi International Sports Centre (MISC), Kasarani.

At the same time, Kenya’s fastest woman in 100m Maximilla Imali, will brush shoulders with eight-time Olympic medallist and 10-time world champion, Jamaican Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Olympic 200m silver medallist Christine Mboma and sensational American sprinter Sha'Carri Richardson in women’s 100m.

Making the announcement Friday, Athletics Kenya president Jack Tuwei said the aforementioned are part of a galaxy of elite athletes set to descend at the MISC for the third edition of the event.

Omanyala is the Africa 100m record holder at 9.77 seconds while Kerley and Bednarek are the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games silver medallists in 100m and 200m respectively.

Omanyala and Kerley will be making a return at the Kip Keino Classic, having set their personal bests in last year’s second edition.

Omanyala finished second in men’s 100m in 9.77, losing the battle to American Trayvon Bromell, who clocked 9.76. The times ranked them the sixth and seventh fastest respectively in the men’s 100m history.

From cracking a national 60m indoor record of 6.60 seconds in France in February this year, Omanyala, 26, stormed to his first outdoor sub 10 seconds, winning the 100m race in 9.98 seconds during ASA Athletics Grand Prix 4 on April 13 at Germiston Stadium, Johannesburg.

Omanyala also posted season’s best 21.04 at ASA Athletics Grand Prix 3 on April 6.

Kerley, 26, has season’s best of 9.99 in 100m from his victory at Hurricane Collegiate Invitational on March 26 in UMiami Cobb Stadium, Florida.

The American, who won men’s 200m in personal best 19.76 at last year’s Kip Keino Classic, has a personal best 9.84 from his silver medal exploits at 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The 23-year-old Bednarek heads into his maiden Kip Keino Classic with a personal best 9.89 set last year in Oregon.

Imali, holds the national 100m record of 11.38 seconds, but cracked 11.47 seconds last week during the Kenya Police Service Athletics Championships. She has a golden opportunity to double up in women’s 200m where she will face Mboma, who is also the defending champion.

Mboma scorched the track to a wind-assisted 10.90sec (+2.8) at Little Rock Twilight, Coleman Sports Complex, Little Rock, Arizona, United States on April 15.

“We are glad that Kip Keino Classic is growing in leaps and bounds owing to the attendance that is improving with every event,” said Tuwei, who was speaking during the event’s media launch at Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi.

Tuwei, who hopes that the World Athletics will upgrade the event to Diamond League status next year after the lapse of the three-year allotment period, said more confirmation is expected in the coming weeks.

Tuwei disclosed that 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medallists from Kenya, Ferguson Rotich (800m) and Timothy Cheruiyot (1,500m) are back to reclaim their titles.

These confirmations add to the rich field that had earlier signed up for the event.

They are four-time world hammer throw champion Paweł Fajdek from Poland who will defend his hammer throw title. He will renew rivalry with Olympic champion Wojciech Nowicki, whom he beat to second place last year. Also in the mix is Tokyo Olympics hammer throw silver medallist Eivind Henriken from Norway.

Olympic Champion Anita Wlodarczyk from Poland headlines the women's hammer throw event.

World Champion Halima Nakaayi from Uganda hopes to exert revenge against Kenya’s fast-rising star Mary Moraa, who beat her to the title last year.

The 2016 Olympic 3,000m steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto, who also holds the 2017 and 2019 world titles, will face Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Benjamin Kigen in men’s 3,000m steeplechase.