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World champion Fred Kerley will also be lining up for his first 100m race this season.
Steeplechase sensation Amos Kirui is not resting on his laurels as he looks to outshine other bigwigs at the Seiko Golden Grand Prix, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, in Yokohama on Sunday, May 21.
Kirui, beat a strong field at the Kip Keino Classic last week at a time of 8:18.45 in the altitude of Nairobi. He will be up against one of Japan’s bright hopes in the men’s steeplechase, Ryuji Miura.
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06:49 - 17.05.2023
ATHLETICS Amos Kirui plotting Team Kenya comeback after three-year hiatus
He is aware of the stiff competition that awaits him as he eyes a slot in the national team but he knows he is capable of pulling off a surprise.
The conditions in Yokohama should be kinder, but the crowd will definitely be cheering for their home star Miura.
Miura has won at this meeting for the past two years, setting a national record of 8:17.46 – while still an Under 20 athlete in 2021 - before taking a more comfortable victory in 2022. Miura will start as an equal favourite in what will be his first steeplechase race of 2023.
Other Kenyans who will be competing include Margaret Akidor and Teresiah Muthoni Gateri who will face off against each other in the women’s 3000m.
Elsewhere, world champion Fred Kerley will also be lining up for his first 100m race this season. He heads to the Japanese city off the back of three victories over the longer sprint distances.
He started his 2023 campaign with a 20.32 win over 200m in Melbourne, then ran 44.65 for 400m two weeks later. More recently he won the 200m at the Diamond League meeting in Doha in 19.92.
The field for the men’s long jump appears more evenly matched and should be a highly competitive contest.
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14:24 - 16.05.2023
ATHLETICS No respite for Omanyala in Florence as another Kerley, Jacobs battle is lined up
Africa’s fastest man will be tested to the limit as he is set to take on the world and Olympics champions in back-to-back Diamond League meetings.
Wang Jianan will be contesting his first competition outside of China since winning the world long jump title last year.
World and Olympic finalist Yuki Hashioka, on his part, has jumped 8.11m already this year, while Japanese record-holder Shoutarou Shiroyama is close to eight-metre form. Australia’s Henry Frayne and China’s Zhang Jingqiang are also in the line-up.
Nozomi Tanaka will also get a warm reception from the crowd when she lines up for the women’s 1500m.
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08:18 - 17.05.2023
ATHLETICS Omanyala's grand plan for Kenya to ensure sprinting legacy lives on after retirement
He also called upon the government and private sector to come on board and help support his initiative.
The national record-holder and Olympic finalist has already raced a number of times so far this year and may need to produce a season’s best to give her a chance against USA’s Dani Jones.
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