Kenya sprinters eye Beijing titles

In a nation with an established distance running tradition, Kenyan sprinters are staking a huge claim to be included in the country's squad for the August IAAF World Championships in Beijing.

If local governing body Athletics Kenya (AK) needed any reminder, short distance exponents gave them a rousing reason when they mowed four national records during the domestic championships held last weekend in Nairobi.

Besides that, seven sprinters nailed the Beijing Worlds qualifying standards, making them eligible to compete at the biennial global track and field showpiece next month.

Stephen Mwaniki, the national sprints head coach, believes the resounding showing did enough to convince AK to expand its medal breadbasket from distance runs to sprints in the Beijing party.

National champions Mike Mokamba (men 200m/20.50); Joyce Zakari (women 400m/51.14) and Fransisca Koki (women 400m hurdles/55.82) beat the qualifying standards for the forthcoming Beijing championships last weekend.

Boniface Mucheru, the 2012 African bronze medalist, Nicholas Bett (men's 400 hurdles), former Africa Junior bronze medallist, Alphas Kishoiyan and 2013 World Youth third finisher Alex Sampao (men's 400m) have also run under the China Worlds entry marks.

"We have always been presuming we don't have sprinters but it has been proven and this is coming after Bahamas World Relays Championships because we started our preparations early.

"Hopefully, the federation has seen what has happened in sprints, most of them have qualified for the world championships and we hope they will be selected during the national trials where we will have strong contenders," Mwaniki was quoted on local website Capital FM, urging the federation to give sprinters a fairer chance.

Previously, AK announced plans to bring famed Jamaican sprint coach Glen Mills, who trained among others, superstar, double Olympics and world champion Usain Bolt, but federation chief executive Isaac Mwangi said the plans were shelved.

Now, he added they had turned to European powerhouse Germany for expertise in short distance events as well as field sport.

"The four records that were broken show the strategy we have put in place is working. We have decided to put more effort in sprints; four coaches are attending the IAAF sprints level four course," Mwangi asserted.

"The more they meet the qualifying standards for the international events the more we will enter them. We are not going to overlook the sprinters," the CEO promised.

Encouraged by the nationals, more sprinters have turned their sights on making the Beijing team when the country holds its selection trials in Nairobi on the weekend of July 31 and Aug. 1.

The country's final team for China will be announced following the culmination of the two-day meet that is traditionally explosive, with only those previously selected for the marathon races not taking part.

"I feel great to win both 100 and 200m titles, it's a big boost ahead of the trials that will be tough since Nkanata will be available. I will be working on my start where I'm slow and if I improve on that, I will be capable to lower my 200m personal best time to 20.3 seconds," said Mokamba, a son of Elikanah Nyang'au, a member of the 1972 Olympics winning 4x400m quartet.

During the last world championships in Moscow two years ago, only Africa silver medalist Maureen Jelagat and the men's 4x400m relays team represented the country in the short distance events.

Beijing, a city where Kenya showed her might by winning a record six gold medals during the 2008 Olympics, could usher in a new age of the country's domination in short distance events. Enditem