Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala and world 800m champion Mary Moraa spearhead 83 top-tier athletes to the World Relay Trials this Saturday at Nyayo Stadium.
Athletics Kenya (AK) will use the trials to select a team that will compete in Nassau, Bahamas during the World Relay championships on May 4-5.
The Bahamas meet is crucial for Kenya’s Olympic qualification in sprints and relay with the qualification windows quickly closing.
The event will kick off with individual showdowns in the 400m, 200m, and 100m before transitioning into relay spectacles (4x100m, 4x400m for both genders and the 4x400m mixed relay) later in the day.
Sprints coach Stephen Mwaniki said individual races will be used to place in the relay teams defending on the times for the afternoon showdown.
“We will use the times from the individual races to place the athletes into the relay teams. Putting together the fastest athletes will increase competition and we will get a good squad from that,” Mwaniki stated. He added, “Post-trials, a panel of judges will name the squad for the Bahamas.”
Joining Omanyala will be luminaries like three-time 100m national champion Mark Otieno, Hesborn Ochieng, Isaac Omurwa (Omanyala’s brother) and 2015 African Games 400m silver medallist, Boniase Mweresa.
Other invited athletes include former 100m national record holder Mike Mokamba, Samuel Chege, Meshack Babu, Wiseman Were and Ronald Kiprono among others.
