Kenya seeks to dominate World Youth Championships in Colombia

Kenya and Ethiopia have evenly contested for middle and long distance medals at the World Youth Championships and the trend is set to continue in Cali, Colombia starting Wednesday.

Daggers are drawn as this elementary IAAF championship, which has attracted 1,424 athletes from 156 countries gets underway, making it the biggest international athletics event to be held in South America.

Jamaica won the last championships in Donestk, Ukraine with six gold medals ahead of Kenya (four), Ethiopia (three), Australia and the United States.

"I have to improve my speed. In Kenya, you are as good as the next race, especially in steeplechase. I want to do more, go places and make a name," said Africa 2000m steeplechase champion Vincent Kipyegon before he left for Cali.

Indeed since its inaugural event in Poland in 1999, the boys' 3000m gold medal has gone to Kenya or Ethiopia with the two countries sharing 19 of the 24 medals on offer. In Cali, it will come as a major surprise if their dominance is halted.

Kenya's team is led by Davies Kiplangat, whose best of 7:53.6 came when winning the Kenyan youth trials in Nairobi in April.

A close runner-up that day with 7:53.7 was Richard Kimunyan Yator and he will renew his rivalry with Kiplangat in Cali.

In the women's 2000m steeplechase, Sandra Chebet, promises to be the next star on the bloc.

Chebet holds three of the four fastest times in the world for a girl, her best effort of 6:16.19 coming at the Kenyan Youth Championships in Nairobi last month.

That run puts her eight seconds clear of her closest rival in Cali, Celphine Chespot, who is Kenya's second representative.

If anyone is to upset the Kenyan pair, then the Ethiopian trio of Agrie Belachew, Beletu Hailu and Asimarech Naga appear to hold the best chance.

But world junior cross-country champion Letesenbet Gidey, who led an Ethiopian 1-2-3 in Guiyang earlier this year, will be the athlete to beat in the 3,000m flat race.

Gidey's official personal best over 3000m is a relatively pedestrian 9:35.71, but the 17-year-old's performances at cross country signal an athlete of the highest calibre and she will be looking to demonstrate that ability on the track.

Kenya's team is led by Emily Chebet, who impressively won her national junior championships last month in Nairobi with a 9:08.8 clocking.

Over to the 1,500m race, Kenya's Janeth Chepngetich looks to be at the top of the field and is four seconds faster than her nearest competitors on paper, so there is every chance she can bring the world youth title back to Kenya for the fifth time in the event's history. Endi