Olympics dilemma for athletes as Kasarani, Nyayo closed down
Nyayo National Stadium.
What you need to know:
- Ulinzi Sports Complex in Lang’ata which is the only other venue that can host track and field athletics competitions is not certified by the World Athletics, and World Athletics can’t ratify the times posted at the arena.
- The 7, 500-seater Complex was commissioned by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2020, and opened in April 2022.
The closure of Nyayo National Stadium and Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, for repairs has extinguished hopes of Kenyan athletes looking to attain 2024 Olympic Games qualifying standards through local championships.
The two sporting venues are the only local facilities with running track certified by World Athletics, the body that governs athletics globally. All athletes hoping to qualify to compete in the Olympic Games must attain the qualifying standard on certified venues.
The government has closed down Nyayo National Stadium to allow for renovation as Kenya prepares to co-host 2024 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) with Uganda and Tanzania in September. Kenya will use Nyayo National Stadium as the main venue for Africa’s second-tier national football team tournament CHAN, which involves players playing in African leagues.
Nyayo National Stadium was the only certified arena remaining for Kenyan athletes after the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, was closed for renovations early this year. Both Nyayo National Stadium and Kasarani have also been earmarked as venues for 2027 Africa Cup of Nations tournament that Kenya will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.
Ulinzi Sports Complex in Lang’ata which is the only other venue that can host track and field athletics competitions is not certified by the World Athletics, and World Athletics can’t ratify the times posted at the arena.
Times or distances posted in non-ratified venues may not count for Olympics qualification.
The 7, 500-seater Ulinzi Sports Complex was commissioned by former President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2020, and opened in April 2022.
Ulinzi Sports Complex will host the National Athletics Championships scheduled for May 16 to 18 and the Kenyan trials for the Paris Olympic Games on June 14 to 15 this year.
The national championships will also double up as Kenyan trials for the African Senior Athletics Championships scheduled for June 19 to 23 in Yaoundé, Cameroon.
With most middle and long distance athletes having attained the Olympic Games standards, sprinters, who had banked on the nationals and Olympic trials, stand to disadvantaged.
They will now rely on competing in Africa Senior Athletics Championships to attain Olympic standards, or seek alternative events to qualify from World Athletics-sanctioned races.
Only three Kenyan sprinters have qualified for the Paris Olympic Games. They are Commonwealth Games and Africa 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala, national champions Wiseman Were (400m hurdles) and Zablon Ekwam (400m).
“World Athletics had sanctioned only two events for Olympics qualification in Kenya - the nationals and Olympic trials, and only Nyayo or Kasarani should host them. Those rules have not changed,” Athletics Kenya’s executive committee member, Barnaba Korir, said.
Korir said his team is planning to send some of the country’s top runners to qualifier events in Europe, alongside some relay teams.
“There is nothing we can do if the government has declined to reopen the arena.
Times coming from Ulinzi Arena are null and void for qualification. We can only hold trials there for athletes who have already qualified,”said Korir.
AK also wants to use the Prefontaine Classic leg of the Diamond League on May 25 in Eugene, Oregon, as trials for both men and women’s 10,000m races.
It will not be the first time AK is using Prefontaine Classic to select the men’s 10,000m team for the Olympics. Kenya used the Prefontaine Classic to select to select her 10,000m teams for the 2012 London Summer Games.
Moses Mosop won the trials, beating Moses Ndiema Masai and Bedan Karoki to second and third places respectively as they made it to London.
“Organisers of Prefontaine Classic have agreed to host Kenya’s 10,000m trials for women, but AK is negotiating for both teams to compete,” Kenya’s head coach Julius Kirwa said.
“We want to give our 10,00m runners ample time to prepare for Paris hence the early trials for the two races.”
A total of 14 men have met the qualifying standards of 27:00.0 minutes in 10,000m while 12 women have attained 30:40.00.
Kenya is yet to win the men’s 10,000m title at the Olympics since the late Naftali Temu’s exploits at the 1968 Mexico City Games.
The only athletes who came close to winning by settling for silver medals are Richard Chelimo (1992 Barcelona), Paul Tergat (1996-Atlanta, 2000-Sydney) and Paul Tanui (2016 Rio).
The country has yet to win in women’s 10,000m since the race debuted at the Summer Games in 1988 Seoul. Sally Kipyego (2012 London) and Vivian Cheruiyot (2016 Rio) claimed silver medals with the only medal (bronze) coming from Linet Masai in 2008 Beijing.
