NAIROBI, Kenya, May 10 – Three-time Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica and American sprint sensation Sha’Carri Richardson will not face each other at this Saturday’s Kip Keino Classic as had earlier been anticipated.
The meet director Barnaba Korir said organisers felt the need to enhance the profile of every race at the World Continental Tour Gold event hence the decision to shift Richardson to the women’s 200m.
“Unfortunately, Shelly-Ann will not battle Richardson because she will be running in the women’s 100m while Richardson will be in the 200m. The reason why we did that is because we wanted to enhance the events. If we have Shelly-Ann in the 100m and Richardson in the 200m, it will give us more value and points in both races,” Korir explained.
Richardson had on Tuesday revealed via an Instagram video that she would be competing in the 200m albeit she had wanted to run in the 100m.
Sha’carri Richardson kicked out of the 100m in Botswana and 100m in Kenya this week. What’s going on!? 🤨 pic.twitter.com/vvyuVo2fDm— Track Spice 🌶️ (@trackspice) May 8, 2023
This followed on from last week’s Botswana Grand Prix where she was compelled to run in the women’s 200m in which she eventually finished second in…
Notwithstanding, Korir explained that putting the two sprinters in different races will in the longterm aid Kenya’s bid to host a Diamond League event.
“World Athletics also considers the value of the events that you have. If you want to be upgraded to Diamond League, they’ll look at the results of your events and that is why we thought it wise to separate the two athletes and put them in different categories,” he said.
Whereas Richardson will be competing in the Kip Keino Classic for the first time, it will be Fraser-Pryce’s second after last year’s edition where she clocked a world lead of 10.67 to win the women’s 100m at the Moi International Sports Centre Kasarani.
Korir said the world 100m champion’s return to Kip Keino Classic is evidence that the event is becoming a favourite for sprinters in Kenya and beyond.
“We have, of course, our own in the men’s 100m, Ferdinand Omanyala, competing against Kenneth Bednarek (Olympics 200m silver medalist) of the United States. We are also going to have Imeta (African 4x100m relay champion) competing. This competition has contributed a lot to the development of sprints in this country to the extent is now considered a sprints meet rather than middle- and long-distance races,” he said.
Fraser-Pryce will be pitted against the United States duo of Teahna Daniels and Twanisha Terry, Kenya’s national champion Maximilla Imali, New Zealand’s Zoe Hobb, Belgian Rani Rosius and Hemida Basant of Egypt.
On the other hand, Richardson will be up against her countrywomen, Kyra Jefferson and Shannon Ray, Gambia’s Gina Bass, Belgian Imke Vervaet, German Alexandra Burghardt and Portugal’s Arialis Gandulla Martinez.
