Stockholm beckons for Rudisha, Yego and Bett to impress

Olympics champion David Rudisha and the trio of Beijing world champions, Julius Yego, Hyvin Kiyeng and Nicholas Bett are the star Kenyans on show as the 2016 IAAF Diamond League reaches the halfway point at the BAUHAUS-Galan Stockholm meet on Thursday night.

At an Olympics stadium that has witnessed three world records in the steeplechase in its time, Kiyeng could play a part in a fourth when she comes head-to-head with her main rival and world junior champion, Ruth Jebet, the Kenyan turned Bahraini.

On May 28 Kenyan ran to the African record of 9:00.01 to finish behind Jebet’s world leading and the second-fastest mark of all time of 8:59.97 at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon.

Kiyeng then motored to victory at the Oslo Bislett Games on June 9 with 9:09.07 on the clock for her second Diamond League victory of the season to edge ahead of the Bahraini teenager in the race for the Diamond Trophy.

Olympic silver medallist, Sofia Assefa, of Ethiopia, is unique with four straight World Championships finals, Diamond Race winner Virginia Nyambura and African champion, Hiwot Ayalew are also in the field that is challenging a stadium record of 9:10.36, set by Tunisia’s Habiba Ghribi in 2012.

Also facing familiar foes if two-time world champion, David Rudisha who underlined his form by running the second fastest 600m of all time when he blasted to 1:13.10 at the Birmingham meet a fortnight ago.

Returning to his two-lap speciality, ‘King David’ as he is known renews acquaintances with domestic rival, Ferguson Rotich who capitalised on his awful start in Shanghai to hand him a second defeat since beating him at the Kenya Trials for Beijing last July.

The 2013 world champion from Ethiopia, Mohammed Aman and Bejing bronze winner from Poland, Adam Kzczot and London bronze winner, Timothy Kitum complete a reasonably deep field capable of stretching Rudisha to the wire.

Yego has been struggling to replicate the form that speared him to his historic Beijing title last year having recorded a season’s best of 84:68m that is ranked 10th in the world this season when he finished second at the Pre Classic in Oregon.

The ‘You Tube Man’ then slumped to seventh in Oslo (80.90m) two-weeks ago and is in need of a morale boosting performance in Sweden ahead of the Rio Olympics.

He will face a familiar cast of Olympics champion, Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad who is equally short of shape, 2013 world champion Vítězslav Veselý (Czech Republic) and German Thomas Röhler, the Diamond Race and world leader who finished just outside the medals in Beijing.

Bett is the other Kenyan champion from Beijing in need of a rapid pick up in Sweden since he is also suffering another case of the proverbial second season syndrome.

Since shocking the world to the 400m Hurdles title, Bett, 26 has barely been a factor in the three Diamond League outings thus far finishing sixth (49.31/SB) in Shanghai, last in Eugene (51.33) and sixth again in Oslo (49.85).

He will come up against an uncompromising field led by the man he dethroned in Beijing, Bershawn Jackson the two-time Diamond League winner and Olympics silver medallist, Kerron Clement.

Hellen Obiri, the 2014 World Indoor champion has odds stacked against her in the women 1500m showdown with the Ethiopian onslaught of Dawit Seyaum, Axumawit Embaye and Gudaf Tsegay the obstacles to overcome for victory.