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Omanyala, Tebogo headline 2024 Kip Keino Classic

Commonwealth Games 100m champion Ferdinand Omanyala at a past event. (Photo: AFP)

By Michael Kirwa | 20 Apr 2024

The two will however be competing in different events and will therefore not clash in the 100m race as earlier anticipated.

The highly-anticipated 100 metres clash between Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala and his Botswana counterpart, Letsile Tebogo, at the 2024 Kip Keino Classic will have to wait for another day as the two athletes will be competing in different events at the Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday.

The Kip Keino Classic serves as the Nairobi stage of the World Athletics World Continental Gold Tour and this year’s event will see Omanyala stepping out to defend his 100 metres crown while Tebogo, who is making his debut in the Kip Keino Classic, will be the star attraction for the 200 metres race.

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With two athletes separated, Omanyala will have to look over his shoulder for competition from his compatriot Mark Odhiambo, American Kenneth Bednarek who won silver in the 200 metres at the 2023 World Athletics Championships and European U23 Champion Jeremiah Azu. Also hoping to ensure that Omanyala does not scoop a third consecutive 100 metres title at the Kip Keino Classic will be Ivorian sprinter Arthur Cisse, the Liberian Emmanuel Matadi, and Italian Chituru Al. The 100 metres will be the day’s last event and it will start at 5:54 pm.

In the 200 metres, which start at 16:43 pm, Kenyan Samuel Waweru will hope the crowd will spur him to cause as upset as he races against 2024 world leader over the distance, Tebogo, Courtney Lindsey (USA), William Reais (Switzerland), Eseosa Desalu (Italy), Micaiah Harris (USA), Dorian Camel (USA), and Claude Emmanuel Itoungue (Cameroun).

Omanyala will not be the only Kenyan athletics star looking forward to thrill the crowd at the 2024 Kip Keino Classic as women’s 800 metres world champion Mary Moraa and men’s 800 metres world silver medalist Emmanuel Wanyonyi are also expected to feature. Mary Moraa is expected to take the field at 4:30 pm while Wanyonyi will have to wait until 5:31 pm to make his appearance.

The hammer throw also promises to serve some great entertainment as world Champion Ethan Katzberg (Canada), Olympic champion Wojciech Nowicki (Poland), five-time world champion and two-time Kip Keino defending champion Pawel Fajdek (Poland) are expect to feature in the men’s event while Anita Wlodarczyk (Poland), world record holder in women’s hammer throw, will headline the women’s event. The women’s hammer throw will take place at 2:12 pm while the men will enter the battlefield at 4:15 pm.

It's crunch time. Clear your calendars for Saturday, April 20th, as we fill up Nyayo National Stadium and cheer on our heroes as they light up the stadium. #AbsaKipkeinoClassic2024 #TwendeNyayoStadium . Don't miss out on the kickoff schedule.👇 pic.twitter.com/zrgYATLDYY
— Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour (@KipKeinoClassic) April 15, 2024

In the Women’s 100 metres, Nambian sprinter Christine Mboma who won bronze in the 200 metres at the last Olympics will give fans reason to look forward to event as she comes up against Alana Reid (Jamaica), Gina Bass (Gambia), Rani Rosius (Belgium) and Shannon Ray (USA). The women’s 100 metres will curtain raise the events scheduled for international broadcast.

Events at the 2024 Kip Keino Classic will start with the triple jump at 11:00 am but the international broadcast will not start until 4:05 pm per the schedule shared by event organisers.