NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 20 – The Kenyan trio of world beaters Hellen Obiri, Timothy Cheruiyot and Faith Kipyegon will be out to continue with their perfect start to the season when they take to the track at Sunday’s Stockholm Diamond League.
Obiri, Cheruiyot and Kipyegon lit up the season opening leg in Monaco last Friday and they will be put to test this weekend as they seek to maintain their top form.
Fresh from breaking a Diamond League record in the 1000m race in Monaco, Olympic Champion Kipyegon will be spearheading the women’s 1500m race, this time competing in her specialty.
She will however face stiff challenge from compatriots double 5000m World Champion Obiri who will be reminding her self of a race she started career with and African Champion Winnie Chebet who was a pacesetter in the 5000m race in Monaco.
Also in the contest are Commonwealth Champion Winnie Nanyondo of Uganda and Great Britain’s Laura Muir who finished second behind Kipyegon in Monaco.
In the corresponding men’s showdown, just like in Monaco, 1500m World Champion Timothy Cheruiyot will once again line up against the Ingebrightsens brothers of Norway Filip and Jacob. The Norway siblings will be looking to avenge last week’s defeat to Cheruiyot.
The deep field of 15 athletes will also include 10,000m World Silver medalist Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia who came fifth in Monaco. Kenya’s Timothy Sein who served as a pacesetter last week will also feature in the race.
In the men’s 800m race, former Diamond League series winner Ferguson Rotich will be Kenya’s solo representative.
He will be aiming to bounce back after a poor start in Monaco where he finished eighth. Rotich will race alongside World Champion Donavan Braizer of USA and World Silver medalist Amel Tuka of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
World Champion Halima Nakaayi of Ugandan will be the only African representative in the women’s 800m race event.
The series will then take a two-week break before returning September 2 with a WDL Exhibition street event in Lausanne, Switzerland.
However, due to the ongoing global health situation and ever-changing COVID-19 regulations, the 2020 Diamond League calendar remains provisional and subject to further changes.
