Kenya's hurdlers are preparing to compete at the Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Mauritius, seeking to build on a legacy that includes 17 medals across 21 editions of the event. The team includes athletes who have competed in previous continental competitions, with some aiming to achieve personal milestones at this year's meet.
Historically, Kenya has secured three gold medals in men's 400m hurdles: Daniel Kimaiyo (1979), Eric Keter (1993), and Boniface Mucheru (2016). In the 110m hurdles, Philip Sang won gold in 1982 and 1984, following a silver in the inaugural 1979 event. However, the country has yet to claim a women's hurdle medal, with Rose Tata-Muya and Maureen Jelagat earning silver in 1979 and 2016 respectively.
Priscilla Tabunda, competing in her fourth Africa Championships, previously participated in field events before transitioning to the 100m hurdles. Her career includes appearances in 2010 and 2018, where she competed in pole vault and long jump. Tabunda emphasized the importance of technical refinement, stating, "It is needless to be fast when the technique isn't there."
Wiseman Were, a 2021 World Relay bronze medallist, aims to break the World Championships qualifying time in the 400m hurdles. He set personal bests of 13.80 seconds in the 110m hurdles and 49.48 seconds in the 400m hurdles at the 2022 Kenya National Championships. "I feel I can improve my 400mh time to sub-48 seconds and qualify for the world event," Were said, citing a 49.80-second run in March as a stepping stone.
Michael Musyoka, competing in the 400m hurdles, expressed confidence in refining his technique to achieve sub-14 second times in the 110m hurdles. Both athletes train under coaches William Murgor and Caroline Kola at the Nyayo National Stadium, aiming to capitalize on their preparation for the continental championships.
