Nyairera And Sum Confirmed For Eugene

Rio 800m bronze medalist Margaret Wambui Nyairera and former World Champion Eunice Sum are among the Kenyan 800m runners confirmed for the two-lap race at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Eugene on May 27.

Though she missed out in the 4X2Km mixed relay event at the IAAF World Cross Country championships last month in Kampala, Uganda, Nyairera hoped to test her endurance as she prepares for the IAAF World Athletics Championships in London, slated for August 4-13.

In Eugene, Oregon, Nyairera hopes to have taken full advantage of the rich field where all 2016 Summer Games, World Championships indoors and outdoors medalist have been confirmed, to gauge her training performance and how her body is responding to the training.

After exiting the Olympics at the semi-finals Sum will be at Prefontaine Classic seeking a fourth win after winning three consecutive Diamond Race crowns from 2013 to 2015. The 2015 world champion bronze medalist won the 800m at the 2015 Pre Classic and set her 1500m and 3000m Personal Bests at the 2014 and 2012 editions respectively.

The undisputed 800m champion since September 2015, Caster Semenya will also be returning to Hayward Field following a successful 2016 season. Last year the South African demonstrated impressive range from the 400m (winning the IAAF Diamond League final in 50.40) to the 1500m (winning the African title in 4:01.99) in addition to winning the Diamond Race in her specialist event.

Burundi’s Rio 2016 silver medalsit Francine Niyonsaba won the world indoor title in Portland last year. At the agre of 20 produced Hayward Field’s still-standing record of 1:56.72 in 2013 at the Pre Classic.

Others in the lineup will include; World Champion Marina Arzamasova  of Belarus,USA’s Ajee Wilson 2015 world indoor silver medalist, in Portland , Melissa Bishop, Joanna Jozwik and Lynsey Sharp all with personal best’s form the Olympic final  will line up against the three women who finished ahead of them in Rio.

2017 IAAF Diamond League calendar

5 May – Doha, QAT

13 May – Shanghai, CHN

27 May – Eugene, USA

8 Jun – Rome, ITA

15 Jun – Oslo, NOR

18 Jun – Stockholm, SWE

1 Jul – Paris, FRA

6 Jul – Lausanne, SUI

9 Jul – London, GBR

16 Jul – Rabat, MAR

21 Jul – Monaco, MON

20 Aug – Birmingham, GBR

24 Aug – Zurich, SUI

1 Sep – Brussels, BEL

Materials sourced from the IAAF.ORG website

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Eunice Sum Margaret Wambui Nyairera

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