The 2012 World Indoor 3000m champion, Hellen Onsando Obiri, will lead a seven-member Kenyan team to the 2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships from 1-4 March in Birmingham, UK.
The team, announced by the Athletics Kenya (AK) on Monday, comprised of three women and four men with the reigning World 5,000m champion Hellen Obiri listed to compete in the 3,000m – an event she last won at Istanbul 2012, before losing her title to Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba at the 2014 World Indoor Championships in Sopot, Poland.
African and Kenyan indoor 800m record-holder Emmanuel Korir – with a personal best of 1:44.21 – will compete in the men’s 800m while Vincent Kibet, who finished seventh in the 2016 World Indoors, will compete in the men’s 1500m.
Korir erased the previous African record of 1:44.52, set by Ethiopian Mohammed Aman at Aviva Indoor Grand Prix on February 15, 2014 in Birmingham, UK, with victory NYRR Millrose Indoor Games in New York on February 3 this year.
Margaret Nyairera, who won bronze in the 800m at Portland 2016, will compete in the women’s 800m, while steeplechaser Beatrice Chepkoech will compete in the 1500m event at Birmingham 2018.
Athletics Kenya vice president in charge of competitions Paul Mutwii announced that Davis Kiplagat, who represented Kenya in the 5,000m at the London 2017 World Championships, will team up with Bethwell Birgen in the men’s 3,000m race.
Kiplagat is a Commonwealth Youth Games 3000m champion and also won the 3000m gold at the Africa Youth championships in Mauritius in 2016.
“This is a strong team picked on merit and we hope they will come with medals,” added Mutwii.
Team Kenya – IAAF World Indoor Championships – Birmingham 2018
Men:
- Vincent Kibet (1500m)
- Davis Kiplangat (3000m)
- Bethwell Birgen (3000m)
- Emmanuel Korir (800m)
Women:
- Hellen Obiri (3000m)
- Beatrice Chepkoech (1500m)
- Margaret Nyairera (800m)
Officials:
- Brigadier Daniel Payaban (Team Manager)
- William Tanui (Coach)
- Josephine Teeka (Chaperone)
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Meet The Authors
Yomog Meje is a former Nigerian junior athlete and the Associate editor at Athletics Africa.
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