Cheptegei goes for early spark at Shanghai Diamond League

KAMPALA. Since breaking onto the athletics scene at the World Junior Championships in Barcelona seven years ago, the 800m race has been Winnie Nanyondo’s priority.
After hitting the pinnacle with a then national record in Monaco and later a bronze at the Commonwealth Games in 2014, Nanyondo struggled to find consistency over the two-lap race.
And following tests over the past two seasons, she will now fully graduate and focus on the 1500m race beginning with the Shanghai Diamond League (DL) Meet in China today.

“Winnie is moving to 1500m,” confirmed her manager Jurrie van der Velden. “She will still use 800m for speed but concentrate more on 1500m,” he said.
Nanyondo and counterpart Esther Chebet will be in the field of 17 at the Shanghai Stadium, each aiming to beat the standard time of 4:06.50 to qualify for the Doha World Championships due September 27 - October 6.
Aside from her personal best (PB) of 4:06.05 posted in the final during the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in Australia last year, Nanyondo is encouraged by an early and fine start to the season.
She came second over the mile run at Müller Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham, England on February 16. And six days prior, she had as well finished second over 1000m at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais in Liévin.

Chebet, whose PB stands at 4:06.34, is as well motivated by her 14th place in the senior women’s 10km race during the World Cross-country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark on March 30.
Joshua Cheptegei, who conquered the senior men’s 10km race in Aarhus, has Stephen Kissa for company in the 5000m race in Shanghai.
This is Cheptegei’s first DL event since the Lausanne Meet on July 6, 2017 and his first 12-and-a-half lap race since winning gold on the Gold Coast on April 8, 2018.
“After Denmark, my aim is to go for the long-distance double in Doha,” Cheptegei told this paper in a recent chat.
He and Kissa, who won the Villa de Laredo 10K in Spain on March 17, must run under 13:22.50 to qualify for Doha.

“It will be tough indeed but a good race for both,” said Jurrie. “Going by what he did in March, Kissa is ahead in 5000m for now body wise.”
This race appears to have attracted the world’s best considering IAAF nearly scrapped off all long-distance events from the DL calendar.
Cheptegei and Kissa face World bronze medallist American Paul Chelimo, Ethiopians Selemon Barega, Hagos Gebrhiwet and Yomif Kejelcha in the field of 21.
Meanwhile, World junior silver medallist Peruth Chemutai will hope she runs a new PB as she had done on her previous three straight appearances over the 3000m steeplechase in Shanghai.

2019 IAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE

UGANDANS IN ACTION
Women’s 1500m:
Winnie Nanyondo, Esther Chebet
Men’s 5000m:
Joshua Cheptegei, Stephen Kissa
Women’s 3000m steeplechase:
Peruth Chemutai
LIVE ON SS8, 2pm

[email protected]