Team Kenya are hoping to defend their 3,000m title as Betty Chelangát and Nancy Cherop take to the field today at the World Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia.
Last year's edition saw the current champion Teresia Gateri leading Kenyan 1-2 sweep in the event with Zenah Yego settling for silver. Ethiopia's Tsiyon Atsebe and Bertukan Welde will be hoping to spoil Kenya's party in the seven-and-a-half-lap race.
Ethiopia last won the event during the 2016 edition in Bydgoszcz through Beyenu Degefa, who coincidentally is the world record holder (8:41.76). Atsebe has a personal best of 8:44.82 which she attained during last month’s Diamond League in Rabat.
Head coach, Robert Ngisirei said he is banking on Chelangát and Cherop to deliver and put the team on course. Chelangát and Cherop have personal bests of 8:51.33 and 8:52.86 respectively. The women’s 3,000m race starts at 1.00 am Kenyan time.
Men’s 5,000m final will be next in line at 1:25, where Samuel Kibathi and Nelson Mandela will have the mandate to defend the title that was won by Benson Kiplagat in Nairobi, last year.
Like the women's race, the presence of Ethiopians, Ugandans, and Eritreans is likely to complicate matters. Ethiopia’s Addisu Yihune is the man to watch as he is the fastest junior this year with a personal best of 12:58.99. Gebeyehu Belay, also from Ethiopia, has a personal best of 13:25.04.
Uganda’s Peter Maru and Rogers Kibet with personal bests of 13:07.42 and 13:14.68 will also be hoping to bag medals for their country. From Eritrea, Habtom Samuel and Merhawi Mebrathu will be seeking to also make their country proud and can't be ruled out.
Tuesday’s long-distance races are definitely the ones to watch as each athlete hopes to make their country proud.
