Kenyan coach wants athletes to skip Diamond League for Beijing worlds

Kenya athletics head coach Julius Kirwa is concerned about possible burn out of his star athletes and has requested them to shelve their Diamond League engagements to focus on Beijing World Championships.

Kirwa said on Monday that majority of Kenyans are not in top form and need to focus on more training to gain their fitness ahead of the World Championships, instead of chasing the Diamond money in the 14-leg circuit.

"There are three or four legs to go before the World Championships and some of these athletes are not close to winning the Diamond Race and should shelve it and go train. The world championships is much greater than the money they are chasing at the Diamond League," Kirwa said in Nairobi.

On Saturday, Olympic champion Eunice Sum collected the maximum four league points after finishing first in the women's 800m race at Stade de France.

Sum, who is exhibiting top form, won her third race in as many attempts when she posted a new personal best time of 1:56.99 to shrug off chasing Cuban Mary Almanza. Sum's time was a world lead, the fastest time since 2013.

"Sum has done enough. She is leading the Diamond League and she can afford to rest and skip the race in Monaco and Stockholm," said Kirwa.

Sum had also indicated she will cut down her races to focus on the Beijing Worlds, and having opened a six point lead, she can afford the comfort of straying away to train for and let her chasers catch up in the two other meetings.

Another strong Kenyan show was in the 1,500m race where former world silver medallist Silas Kiplagat was in top form clocking 3:30.12 to beat Djiboutis's Ayanleh Souleiman and Kenyan Ronald Kwemoi.

As expected, Kenyans dominated the 3,000m steeplechase, but it was Jairus Kipchoge Birech who took top honours beating American Evan Jager to second while Conseslus Kipruto was third.

Olympic and world champion Ezekiel Kemboi finished a distant 11th. Endi