Slow start for Kenya as Nairobi WU20 gets underway

Kenya’s team for the mixed 4x400m relays has been disqualified from the World Under-20 Championships that got underway Wednesday morning at Kasarani Stadium.

The team that comprised Kennedy Kimeu, Sylvia Chelangat, Loice Morara and Elkanah Kiprotich was disqualified from the finals after being penalised for lane infringement.

The Kenyans had put in a spirited fight to place second behind fellow African nation Nigeria who clinched victory in the second heat.

Nigeria, India, Czech Republic, Jamaica, Poland, Sri Lanka, Italy and South Africa qualified for the finals to be held later in the evening.

In the women’s 100m the sole Kenyan representative Mercy Chebet exited in the preliminary round after finishing seventh in her heat.

Similarly, Sylvester Simiyu failed to make it through to semi-finals in the men’s 100m when he finished fifth in his heat.

Kenya will be hoping to bag her first medal in the global event later Tuesday evening when the men’s 3000m finals are held with Daniel Kinyanjui and Bernard Kibet leading Kenya’s charge.