Agency :
The fastest man in Africa, Ferdinand Omanyala, will lead Kenya’s team to the World Athletics Indoor Championships that will run from March 18-20 in Belgrade, Serbia, Athletics Kenya said on Tuesday.
The 2007 women’s 800m world champion Janeth Jepkosgei will coach the team of 10 athletes having transitioned to training athletes after hanging her spikes.
Omanyala, 26, has become a sprint sensation after an explosive 2021 season where he ran 9.77 seconds in Nairobi last September to become the eighth fastest man in 100m in history.
In Belgrade, the former rugby sevens player will be hoping to win the first medal for his country in the men’s 60m event.
Over the weekend, Omanyala ran a wind-assisted 10.00 in Nairobi at the third Athletics Kenya weekend meeting to underline his form having run in two World Indoor circuit meetings in February.
“The world indoor meetings have been quite helpful. Imagine doing 60m at six seconds is no mean feat,” the African record holder told reporters on Saturday.
Collins Kipruto, who broke the two-lap meet record at the Meeting de l’Eure in France in mid-February after running 1:47.05, will be the one to watch in the men’s 800m where he will be partnered by Noah Korir who finished second in the same race.
Kenya will field two runners in the corresponding women’s 800m race Naomi Korir and Nalyanya Nafuna.
Ednah Jebitok will double in the women’s 1,500m and 3,000m with Abel Kipsang competing in the men’s 1,500m.
Daniel Simiyu and Jacob Krop will feature in the men’s 3,000m with women’s 3,000m steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chebet rounding off the Team Kenya squad in the women’s 3,000m.
The team is scheduled to arrive in Serbia on March 16.
