Kenyan sprinters off to USA for Penn Relays action

Kenya’s sprinters will leave the country on Wednesday night for USA ahead of the participation in the 125th edition of Penn Relays to be held in Philadelphia.

The annual competition which is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States has also attracted sprints giants Bahamas, Jamaica, Guyana and hosts USA.

Kenya will be using the three-day championships to seek the qualifying standards for the World Championships to be held in Doha, Qatar earmarked for September 27 to October 6.

The travelling squad is made up of athletes competing in the 4x100m and 4x400m both men and women with majority of whom are in the residential training camp ahead of the World Relay championships slated for Yokohama, Japan in May 12-13.

The men’s 4x100m comprises of; Mike Mokamba, Michael Ngugi, Walter Moenga, Stephen Barasa and Elijah Onkware with that of women made up of; Evangeline Makena, Diana Chebet, Frashia Mwangi, Joan Cherono and Eunice Kadogo.

Three members of 4x400m team that clinched gold in the 2018 African championships led by Aron Koech, Alphas Kishoiyan and Jared Momanyi will team up with Alex Sampao and Collins Omae in the 4x400m men’s race.

In the women 4x400m, World Under-18 400m silver medallist Mary Moraa, Veronica Mutua, Gladys Nthenya, Maximilla Imali, and Maureen Thomas.

Relay Teams can qualify for the world championships in one of two ways:

1. First eight (twelve in the Mixed 4x400m) placed teams at the 2019 IAAF World Relays.
2. Be one of the best ranked teams at the end of the qualification period to fill the remaining places (eight or four). For the purpose of being ranked, the results of relay races shall be valid only on condition that they are part of a competition staged in compliance with IAAF Rules and that at least two different international teams, representing at least two countries, compete in the race.

Kenya will not be sending 4x100m and 4x400m teams to World Relays after falling short of the qualifying standards.