Kenya keeps hope alive in World Relay Championships

Kenya stormed to the finals of the 4x400m mixed relay race in the ongoing World Relay Championships in Yokohama, Japan.

The quartet of Jared Momanyi, Maureen Thomas, Hellen Syombua and team captain Aron Koech finished third in heat 2  behind Canada and Germany to qualify for the finals after posting a relatively fast time of 3:16.90 — a new National Record (NR).

Kenya will thus face off with silver medallists USA, Italy, Poland, Germany, Belgium, Canada and Brazil.

Bronze medallist Jamaica missed out on the finals after finishing third in heat 1 behind Belgium and Brazil respectively, clocking 3:18.47 but it could not sail them through to the finals.

Earlier on, Kenya’s results were disqualified in the first final of the championships after Eglay Nalianya deviated from the track even as Kenya came in fourth in the newly introduced 2x2x400m mixed relay.

Nalianya had combined well with Collins Kipruto but it was the former who went out of gas in the final lap to surrender the lead to USA, Australia and Japan who bagged gold, silver and bronze respectively.

In the 4x400m women, the Kenyan team made of Maureen Thomas, Hellen Syombua, Nevian Michira and Gladys Musyoki failed to earn a spot in the finals after finishing fifth in heat 1 and coming in 14th overall after clocking 3:31.26.

The event continues Sunday with the first event lined up being the 4x200m race where Kenya is represented in both men and women categories.

The men will be looking for a slot in the finals having being pooled in heat 2 alongside Jamaica, USA, Papua New Guinea, Bahamas, Ecuador and France.

The women race will however head straight to the finals with Kenyans set to battle with defending champions Jamaica, USA, Papua New Guinea, Ecuador, China, Germany, France and hosts Japan.

Schedule (Kenyan time)

4x200m men heats 12.37pm

4x400m mixed final 1.53pm

4x200m women final 2.09pm

4x200m men final 2.23pm