POLITICS

All eyes on Kenyans ahead of fierce battles expected at Diamond League final in Brussels

  • 2 min read
All eyes on Kenyans ahead of fierce battles expected at Diamond League final in Brussels

Kenyans will be at the centre of attention when the Diamond League makes its stop in Brussels on Friday, with several athletes looking to shine before the series finale in Zurich next week.

World record holder Beatrice Chebet and rising star Agnes Jebet Ngetich will renew their rivalry in the women’s 5000m, with both in fine form.

Chebet, fresh from her Olympic triumph in Paris, will be eager to defend her dominance, while Ngetich is chasing her first Diamond League win after running the third-fastest time in history earlier this season.

With the world record already belonging to Chebet, fans expect fireworks when the two take to the track.

In the 1500m, Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir will be aiming to keep her unbeaten run alive. She faces a tough field that includes Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji and world indoor champion Freweyni Hailu, but Chepchirchir has shown consistency all season and remains one of the favourites to clinch the win.

Kenya’s men will also be in the spotlight in the 1500m, where teenager Phanuel Koech and experienced Abel Kipsang will carry the nation’s hopes.

Koech has been in stunning form, breaking the 3:30 barrier in his last three races, while Kipsang’s experience at this level could make him a serious contender.

The pair will, however, face stiff competition from Olympic bronze medallist Yared Nuguse and Britain’s 2022 world champion Jake Wightman.

The men’s 3000m steeplechase will see Abraham Kibiwot and Simon Koech fly the Kenyan flag against Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale. Kenya has long been dominant in the steeplechase, and both athletes will want to reaffirm that supremacy ahead of the Zurich finale.

Outside the Kenyan camp, the women’s 100m promises to be one of the most exciting races of the night as US star Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, and Sha’Carri Richardson face off for the first time this season.

Field events will also see Olympic champions clash, including Thea LaFond in the triple jump, Mykolas Alekna in the discus, and Katie Moon in the pole vault.

But with Chebet, Ngetich, Chepchirchir, Koech, Kipsang, Kibiwot, and Simon Koech all lining up, much of the spotlight will remain on the Kenyans as they look to dominate on one of the biggest stages before the Diamond League final.