Omanyala, Sha-Carri, Free Entry: What We Know About Kip Keino Classic 2023
The tour has established itself as a top-ranking one-day-meet athletics championship and is part of the Continental Tour Gold series by World Athletics.
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The Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour's fourth edition is set to be held on Saturday, May 13, 2023, at the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi.
The tour has established itself as a top-ranking one-day-meet athletics championship and is part of the Continental Tour Gold series by World Athletics.
“The fourth edition of the Kip Keino Classic is going to be one of the most thrilling events that will take place in Kenya, Africa, and the most spectacular in terms of the value and content that World Athletics will bank on for the future of Africa in event organizations,” revealed Moses Tanui of Athletics Kenya during the event’s launch at Safari Park in Nairobi.
The event is divided into three categories: the national event, the core event, and the junior category.
Multiple Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce poses for a photo during the 2022 Kip Keino Classic on May 10, at Kasarani Stadium. /FILE
In an effort to elevate the event’s status, Athletics Kenya President Retired Lieutenant-General Jackson Tuwei announced that they have applied to World Athletics to upgrade the Kip Keino Classic from a Gold to a Diamond-league certified event in Africa.
In addition, Tuwei announced that Absa Bank, the event's official sponsor, funded Ksh60 million up from last year's Ksh23 million in support of the event.
Viral Tea takes a look at crucial events Kenyans should expect ahead of the Kip Keino Classic 2023:
Ferdinand Omanyala Eyes Another Record
Omanyala officially became Africa's fastest man when he won the Kip Keino Classic on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at Kasarani, Nairobi after clocking 9.85 seconds in the 100m race.
Former President Uhuru Kenyatta, former Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, and former Sports Cabinet Secretary, Amb Amina Mohammed watched him blitz past the likes of US's Fred Kerley and Isaiah Young to win the race in front of his elated home crowd.
Omanyala's 9.85 seconds is the fastest time in the world in the 100 meters race for 2022, with all eyes focused on him this year as he aims to smash his record, again.
“This year, we want to break records because it is that year in which we want to hit hard. Later on, we are going for the world title so we have to start it (the journey) at home.
"Come watch it live on the stands, when I promise a show, I always give a show. So, I welcome the rest of the world to come and compete with me and for you (the fans), I want to give you a show,” the Commonwealth Games 100m champion told Capital FM.
Omanyala is coming off a fruitful past weekend where he produced another record-breaking performance at the Atlanta Adidas City Games, timing a new national record of 14.89 as he finished third in the men’s 150m.
However, he will be met with formidable opponents in Olympic and world 100m silver medalist Kenneth Bednarek of the United States, world 4x100m relay champion Jerome Blake of Canada and the world 100m silver medalist Marvin Bracy of the United States, among others.
Sha’Carri Richardson v Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
After Omanyala, the second most-anticipated showdown of the Kip Keino Classic will involve American sprint sensation Sha’Carri Richardson and double Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica.
The 23-year-old is among 204 international athletes who will be competing at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event, in addition to 68 local athletes who will be participating across three categories of the competition.
Richardson is the sixth fastest sprinter in the history of the women’s 100m after she clocked 10.72 at the Miramar Invitational Games in Florida in 2021. The feat came two years after she burst onto the athletics scene as a freshwoman, clocking 10.75 at the NCAA Championships to become the 10th fastest sprinter of all time in the women’s 100m.
Fraser-Pryce competes in 60m, 100m and 200m. The 36-year-old is the most decorated 100m sprinter in history and is widely regarded as one of the greatest sprinters of all time.
She has won the diamond league a record five times in her 100m speciality. She also boasts of five five gold medals in the World Championships and has shown no signs of slowing down anytime soon.
New Developments: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce pulled out of the Kip Keino Classic on Friday, May 12 after sustaining a knee injury during training.
“I am deeply disappointed to share that I will not be competing at the Kip Keino Classic. I was truly looking forward to kicking off my season at one the greatest athletic events in East Africa. I love coming to Nairobi and seeing the fans and people; there’s an unspoken energy you can’t find anywhere else," said Fraser-Pryce in a statement.
"Kenya was the beginning of something great last year and I’m really disappointed in not being able to run here. I have always gotten so much love here and I know how much work went into the preparations. Thank you all for your continued support. I wish all of those competing the best of luck. See everyone on the track soon.”
Double Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon
Kipyegon is eager to defend reclaim the women’s 1500m title in the fourth edition of the Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour Gold meeting and will be inspired following her victory in the opening leg of the 2023 Diamond League Series in Doha, Qatar on Friday, May 5 where she set a world lead of 3:58.57.
Faith Kipyegon after winning gold in the women's 1500 metres at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, USA. /TWITTER
Kipyegon destroyed a large field of international stars in the second edition of the Kip Keino Classic in 2021 but did not defend the title last year.
“I’m very much ready to go for the honours at the Kip Keino Classic, but again this will depend on the final decision by my agent.
“I will make up my mind by Tuesday or Wednesday. At the moment, I’m wishing all the athletes preparing for the race success. Hopefully, I will be able to join them on track on Saturday,” she said on Monday, May 8.
Former European women’s 1500m champion Angelika Cichocka, who will be taking part in the World Athletics Series event for the first time after successfully overcoming a protracted injury that has put her out of competition for years, expressed her confidence in going toe-to-toe with Kipyegon, having faced off against her in Doha on May 5.
Free Entry & Music Performances
Amidst the hype surrounding the Kip Keino Classic, arguably the best thing about it is that it is free for anyone to enter and watch.
Meet Manager Kennedy Tanui disclosed on Friday, May 5 that the government waived the entry fee and encouraged Kenyans to cash on the move and turn up in numbers to fill the 60,000-seater arena.
It is worth it to note that Former President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration in 2022 had scrapped the Ksh200 entry fee that was in place prior to the event on May 7, 2022.
Fans attending the event will also be treated to music performances from popular names such as Khaligraph Jones and Mejja. Born Brian Ouko Omollo, rapper Khaligraph Jones is an award-winning artist who is known for his hit singles Mazishi and Yego.
Major Nameye Khadija popularly known by his stage name Mejja is a Kenyan Genge artist who had his breakthrough in 2008 after he released his song Jana Kuliendaje.
Schedules to Note
The national program has six events starting at 10 am with men's long jump and will be followed by men's shot put at 10.05 am.
The men's javelin throw, which is one of the discretionary events will go down at 12.30 pm. The men's 10,000m is a national event which will go down at 2 pm followed by the women's hammer throw which is a core event at 2.12 pm.
Then women's and men’s 400m hurdles, which are national events, will run at 2.38 pm and 2.48 pm respectively. The women's 400m will be the last national event at 2.57 pm.
The women's 5,000m, men's 400m and men's 5,000m that are discretionary will take place at 3.06 pm, 3.30 pm and 3.40 pm in that order.
Women's high jump, which is a core event, will start at 3.45 pm.
The women's 100m featuring multi-Olympic and world 100m champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce from Jamaica will begin at 4.05 pm while the men's 100m featuring Africa 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala will close the day’s business at 5.54 pm.
