Ferguson Rotich leads a 19-man squad to the fourth edition of the World athletics Relay Championships slated for next month in Yokohama, Japan.
The team was selected after a highly successful National Trials held at the Lorna Kiplagat Stadium in Iten last weekend. Rotich, a veteran over the two-lap race, will spearhead the 2x2x400m mixed relay team. Rotich will have Collins Kipruto, Eglay Nalyanya and Emily Cherotich in the event.
Rotich has fond memories of the relays as he was part of the team that struck gold in the 4x800m relay team at the inaugural World relay Championship in 2014 in Nassau, the Bahamas alongside Alfred Kipketer, Job Kinyor and Sammy Kirongo.
Millicent Ndoro will lead the women’s 4x200m team which has Joan Cherono, Eunice Kadogo, Diana Chebet and Freshia Wangari. Top sprinter Mike Mokamba will anchor the 4x200m relay team alongside Mark Otieno, Samuel Chege, Ferdinand Omanyala and Dan Kiviasi.
In the 4x 400m mixed relay, Aaron Koech, Maximilian Imali, Jared Momanyi and Hellen Syombua will be gunning for gold. Mokamba graced the inaugural edition of the relays in 2013 and 2017 in Nassau, Bahamas and will be looking for improvement having failed to impress in the previous two editions of the championships.
Athletics Kenya (AK) vice president in charge of competition, Paul Mutwii expressed confidence that the team selected will do the country proud at the event. “We had a very robust and competitive trial over the weekend and we expect the athletes selected to do the country proud and win medals,” added Mutwii.
Kenya will be seeking to do better their performance from the silver medal in the 4x 800m relay courtesy of Timothy Kitum, Kipyegon Bett, Alfred Kipketer and Ferguson Rotich.
The upcoming edition will also include the mixed 4x400m relay, which is also set to be introduced at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019. The mixed relay replaced the distance medley relay in 2017, becoming the first event of its kind held at any major international competition.
One defining feature of this event is its status as a determiner of the nation’s overall strength in relay races. Points are awarded based on the final ranking in each category, and a baton-shaped trophy known as the Golden Baton is awarded to the team that accrues the highest points in the men’s and women’s categories. Team: Men’s 4X200m: Mike Mokamba, Chege Samuel, Dan Kiviasi, Ferdinard Omanyala, Mark Otieno; Women’s 4X200m: Millicent Ndoro, Joan Cherono, Eunice Kadogo, Diana Chebet and Freshia Wangari: 4x400 mixed relay: Jared Momanyi, Aaron Koech, Hellen Syombua, Maximila Imali, Maureen Thomas and 2X2X400m (mixed relay): Ferguson Rotich, Collins Kipruto, Eglay Nalyanya and Emily Cherotich.
