Obiri, Kiprop lead Kenya’s charge in Birmingham
Kenya's Hellen Onsando Obiri can't hide her joy after winning the final of the women's 5000m at the 2017 IAAF World Championships at the London Stadium in London on August 13, 2017. PHOTO | JEWEL SAMAD | AFP
What you need to know:
- World 5000 metres gold medallist Hellen Obiri will again line up against Sifan Hassan of Netherlands in the women’s 3,000m race.
IN BIRMINGHAM, UK
After the London World Championships, top athletes will line up in the IAAF Diamond League series in Birmingham.
World 5000 metres gold medallist Hellen Obiri will again line up against Sifan Hassan of Netherlands in the women’s 3,000m race.
And it will be interesting to see how Obiri performs Sunday night against Hassan over the distance, the Kenyan having employed a powerful finishing kick to win 5000m gold in the World Championships last week, leaving the opposition, among them the Dutchwoman, gasping for breath.
Obiri will be out to increase her points tally heading to the final leg of the series in Brussels.
Also competing here is World 10,000m bronze medallist Agnes Jebet Tirop. Sunday’s meeting will be the fifth for Jebet in the 14-leg series.
She competed in the first leg of the series in Shanghai, winning women’s 5,000m race in 14min,22.47sec in May, then won the 5,000m race in Rome Diamond league.
Tirop returned to win the One Mile race in London Diamond League.
She would better her performance at the Monaco Diamond League Meeting, where she posted 8min,23.14secs in her victory in women’s 3,000m race on July 27.
Three-time World 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop was spotted here along Holiday Street Saturday morning doing a morning jog.
All eyes will be on him in the 800m race, especially after a poor performance in 1,500m final at the World Championships in London last week, where he finished outside the medal bracket.
“I am feeling well and in good shape. I hope for a good competition today,” Kiprop told Nation Sport before attending to a long queue of fans who were waiting for him outside the hotel.
In men’s 3000m race, middle distance runners Bethwell Birgen, Vincent Kibet and Davis Kiplangat will go head-to-head with other international athletes during the meeting.
The meeting provides an opportunity for athletes to win points before the finals of their races in Zurich and Brussels, where winners will be crowned in 32 disciplines.
