Vincent Kipyegon jumps over a barrier during the Kenya Trials for Cali IAAF World Youth Championships in Nairobi. PHOTO/Raymond Makhaya
NAIROBI, Kenya, June 10 – Over 400 athletes will be seeking to earn selection when Athletics Kenya (AK) conducts Trials for the IAAF World U18 Championships on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Nyayo National Stadium.
The Trials will bring together 80 athletes each selected from the Primary and Secondary Schools National Sports Association Games as well as 282 athletes that were chosen from the Regional Trials held in May at the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret.
The criteria of selecting the national team will be based on the first two athletes to cross finish line in all the events.
The team selected will head to residential camp immediately to prepare for the games that will run from July 12-16 at the Moi International Sports Center, Kasarani.
World U18 Local Organising Committee Chairman Barnaba Korir said Team Kenya will field participants in all events except the Pole Vault as the country seeks to maximize on home advantage to become the overall winners especially after the withdrawal of defending champions United States of America.
The last time Kenya emerged overall winners was at the sixth edition in 2009 held in Bixen, Italy where they collected a total of 14 medals, 6 gold, 7 silver and 1 bronze.
According to world under eighteen youth athletics championship local chairman Barnabas Korir, Kenya will be represented in all events during the championship to be held in Nairobi apart from Pole vault.
Kenya will have the privilege as the first African country to host the global event that is only open for competitors who are 17 years or younger.
This will be the last IAAF World U18 event after the IAAF Council Meeting, held after the 2016 Summer Olympics, decided to conclude the championship with the intention of improving under-18 competitions at continental level instead.
