Omanyala, Kipyegon, Moraa out as Athletics Kenya picks ‘B’ team for African Athletics Championships
Ferdinand Omanyala will have his eyes set on making the 100m podium at the Paris Olympics and not on defending the fastest man title he won at the 22nd African Athletics Championships two years ago in Mauritius.
The 28 year old’s name is not among the list of 26 male Athletics Kenya has selected for the 23rd Africa Senior Athletics Championships scheduled for later this month in Douala, Cameroon.
Also not listed are all of their big name athletes that are seeing as potential finalists and medalists at the Olympics including African Games 400m champion, Mary Moraa who is seen as one of the favourites for the 800m gold in Paris as well as Faith Kipyegon who set three world records in 2023. The two are not in the list of 33 female athletes selected for African Athletics Championships.
Athletics Kenya has been sending its ‘B’ team to many of the continental championships and Games and only Moraa competed at the African Games in March and she expectedly won the 400m gold albeit she is an 800m specialist.
The Kenyans seem not bothered about their standing in continental competitions as they counted themselves among the best in the world. This they demonstrated in 2015 when they topped the medal table at the World Athletics Championships with 16 medals made upof seven gold, six silver and three bronze medals ahead of Jamaica with seven gold, two silver and three bronze medals and USA with six gold, six silver and six bronze medals.
Nigeria returned from the Championships with no medal but topped the medal table at the African Games which held from September 13-18 in Congo Brazaville, almost three weeks after the World Athletics Championships.
Nigeria won a total of 21 medals made up of eight gold, nine silver and four bronze medals with Kenya third with five gold, nine silver and six bronze medals.
Curiously, like they have always done, the AFN celebrated the feat as the best in Africa while Kenya celebrated as the best in the world!
For the African Athletics Championships in Cameroon, Mark Otieno and Esther Mbagari will headline a ‘B’ team.
Otieno will be competing in the men’s 100m while Mbagari will double in the women’s 100m and 200m events.
Mary Moraa’s cousin Sarah Moraa join Lilian Odira in the campaign with Kipng’etich Ngeno enjoying the company of Nicholas Kiplagat in the men’s event.
The men’s 5000m will have Stanley Waithaka and Levy Kibet while the women’s event will see Mercy Chepkemoi and Teresiah Muthoni take on the strong fields in Cameroon.
Gladys Kwamboka and Roncer Kipkorir headline the men’s 10,000m races with Amos Serem’s younger brother Edmund Serem, making his senior national team second appearance in the steeplechase after his exploits in Ghana.
