This archive report was first published on 9 September 2021.
On September 18, 2021, the Kasarani Stadium in Nairobi will host the second edition of the Kip Keino Classic, a part of the World Athletics Continental Gold Tour. The event will feature a star-studded lineup, including three-time World Champion Justin Gatlin and compatriot Trayvon Bromell, the world's two fastest men this year.
Local hero Ferdinand Omanyala, the fastest man in Kenya, will also be competing in the event. Omanyala became the first Kenyan to run under 10 seconds and will look to break the barrier on home soil, where he earned his first Olympic ticket.
The competition is expected to be fierce, with Gatlin and Bromell pushing Omanyala to achieve a good time on high altitude. Gatlin, a 39-year-old silver medalist from the 2019 World Championships in Doha, comes with a rich CV and needs no introduction to the Kenyan crowd.
Bromell, on the other hand, will look to end his season on a high after missing out on the Olympic final. He had arrived in Tokyo with the world's fastest time of 9.77 seconds but only reached the semis.
Other notable athletes confirmed for the event include Botswana veteran Isaac Makwala, who will compete in the men's 200m, and Under-20 star Sinesipho Dambile, who won bronze at the Nairobi event and anchored the South African team to the 4x100m relay gold.
The Kip Keino Classic will feature nine core events, including the men and women's hammer throw, men's pole vault, women's long jump, and men and women's 200m and 3,000m steeplechase.
