NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 2 – Just under a week after he was beaten by World Champion Fred Kerley, African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala will have an opportunity to have his say when they clash again in the Florence leg of the Diamond League on Friday night.
Kerley won the contest at the Rabat meet last weekend, with Omanyala coming home third, his first defeat of the outdoor season.
It will be a field of familiar foes, with Akani Simbine, who also beat Omanyala in Rabat to finish second, being in the line up as well.
The line up will include all medalists from last year’s World Championships with champion Kerley being joined by silver medalist Marvin Bracy and compatriot Trayvon Brommel who clinched bronze.
Jamaican Yohan Blake and homeboy Ceccarelli Samuele are also included in the heavy-laden line up.
Meanwhile, apart from Omanyala, the other high profile Kenyan in Florence will be double world champion Faith Kipyegon who competes in her second race of the season.
She opened up her campaign in Doha, where she clocked 3:58.57 to win the race and is looking forward to another sub four-minute performance.
Will she be tempted by the world record again? Kipyegon, regarded as the greatest 1500m athlete of all time, is keeping her options open.
“I am excited to be in Florence for the second time. I was here in 2021 and I ran 3:53 and for Friday everything is possible. I am looking forward to a nice race and the World Record is still in my heart and mind and I hope this year will be a perfect year for me,” Kipyegon said in the pre-race briefing.
Among those expected to push Kipyegon to her limits include the Australian duo of Linden Hall and Jessica Hull, Commonwealth Games champion Laura Muir and Ethiopia’s Axumawit Embaye.
In the men’s 5,000m, Kenya’s duo of Nicholas Kipkorir and Jacob Krop find themselves in a heavy field, as they will need to contend with world record holder Joshua Cheptegei of Uganda and Ethiopia’s Selemon Barega.
Also lining up in the race is another Ethiopian contingent led by Yomif Kejelcha, Samuel Tefera and Berihu Aregawi.
In the women’s steeplechase, world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech will get to the field once again for her second Diamond League race of the season having also competed in Doha.
Chepkoech missed the defense of her World title last year due to injury and has been slowly trying to build her mojo back ahead of Budapest.
She will be joined in the race by former World Under-20 champion Jackline Chepkoech while Fancy Cherono has been designated as a pace maker.
Kenyan-born Bahraini Winfred Yavi is also in the race.
Timings for Kenyans in Florence
Women’s steeplechase – 9:25pm
Men’s 5,000m – 10:06pm
Men’s 100m – 10:39pm
Women’s 1500m – 10:49pm
