This archive report was first published on 12 September 2021.
On Saturday, Nairobi will be abuzz with excitement as it hosts the second edition of the Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour at the Moi Sports Centre Kasarani. The event promises to be a thrilling spectacle, with some of the world's top athletes set to compete in the 12th and final leg of the 2021 Continental Tour Gold series.
Soufiane El Bakkali, the Moroccan athlete who ended Kenya's dominance in the 3000m steeplechase at the Tokyo Olympics, has arrived in Nairobi for the event. El Bakkali, who has been praised for his skills in the steeplechase, expressed his excitement about competing in Kenya, saying, 'I am so happy to be here because Kenya has been traditionally the home of steeplechase.'
El Bakkali will be facing off against Benjamin Kigen, the newly crowned Diamond League trophy winner and Olympic Bronze medallist. The two athletes have a history of competing against each other, with Kigen beating El Bakkali in the Zurich Diamond League finals. The Kip Keino Classic presents another opportunity for the duo to confirm who is boss in the water and barrier race.
Other notable athletes set to compete in the event include Amos Serem, the newly crowned World Under-20 champion, who is in top form and ready to upset the seniors in Nairobi. Serem has been training in Kaptagat under Coach Patrick Sang, who also coaches marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge.
The Kip Keino Classic event will also feature Uganda's 3000m steeplechase Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai, who finished sixth in Nairobi last year. Faith Chepng'etich, who clinched the 1500m Diamond League trophy, and Olympic 800m silver medallist Ferguson Rotich will also be competing in the event.
National 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala will face off with the 2017 world 100m champion USA's Justin Gatlin and Trayvon Bromell in the 100m event.
