Obiri headlines Kenya’s team to World Indoor Championships

Olympics silver medalist Hellen Obiri will lead a seven-member team named by Athletics Kenya (AK) on Monday for the IAAF World Indoor Championships slated for March 01- 04 at Birmingham, Great Britain.

The team comprises of four men and three women, with the reigning 5,000m World Champion Obiri competing in the 3,000m, a race she won in 2012 in Istanbul-Turkey.

A win for the Commonwealth Games-bound athlete will also be an addition to her 2014 bronze medal she bagged in Sopot, Poland.

Olympic bronze medalist Margret Nyairera will be in the hunt for an elusive gold medal after bagging a bronze in 2016 just before the Rio Olympics Games.

“I have a feeling things will be different from last time in Portland, Oregon for the better. Winning the bronze motivated me to work harder to lower my personal best from 2:00.44 before heading to Rio.

“I will be targeting number one or two, as a motivation heading to the Commonwealth Games,” said Nyairera.

Olympian Beatrice Chepkoech will compete in 1,500m, aiming to polish her speed in the four-day championships in the build-up to the 3,000m steeplechase title hunt in Gold Coast.

African Indoor record holder Emmanuel Korir with a personal best of 1:44.21 will compete in the men’s 800m while Vincent Kibett who finished seventh in the 2016 World Indoor will be in pursuit of a global title in the 1,500m event.

In the men’s 3,000m, former World U-18 silver medalist Davis Kiplangat will chase his first senior title alongside Bethwell Birgen, who bowed out of the 2012 Turkey World Indoor Championships after ranking 10th in the heats.

AK Vice President in charge of competitions Paul Mutwii said selection of the team was easy considering the athletes are currently competing in Indoor Circuit.

“We cannot put them in a camp because they are out competing. We will put them together for about two to four days before the competition,” Mutwii averred.

Barcelona Olympics 800m winner William Tanui will coach the team, managed by Brigadier Daniel Payer Ban with Josephine Teeka named as the Cheparone.

Men

1. Vincent Kibett – 1500

2. Davis Kiplangat -3000

3. Bethwell Birgen -3000m

4. Emmanuel Korir 800m

Women

1. Hellen Obiri -3000m

2.Beatrice Chepkoech -1500

3.Magret Nyairera 800

Officials 

1.Brigadier Daniel Payer Ban -TM

2. William Tanui- Coach

3. Cheparone Josephine Teeka