With just two weeks remaining until the highly anticipated Olympic Games in Paris, France, Kenya’s 800m athletes, both men and women, are intensifying their preparations to make a significant impact on the global stage.
Leading the women’s team will be world 800m champion Mary Moraa, who will be joined by Lilian Odira and Vivian Chebet in their mission to achieve top honors for Kenya.
On the men’s side, world silver medalist Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Wycliffe Kinyamal, and Koitatoi Kidali secured their spots at the summer games during the June trials. They are determined to replicate Kenya’s historic performance from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, where former champions Pamela Jelimo and Wilfred Bungei clinched gold in the 800m race.
Mary Moraa has expressed confidence in the team’s preparations, noting the promising progress they have made so far.
“We have been training diligently as a team. We are praying for strength from God so that we can reach the final and bring home medals. I feel ready for Paris. It has been three years of preparation and dedication with the focus being to get better results than in the previous edition,” noted Moraa.
At the same time, Moraa has expressed her regrets that she will not be contesting for the gold against reigning champion Athing Mu of USA, who fell during the trials last month cutting short her dream to defend her title.
Mu made history as the youngest woman to hold an Olympic title in an individual track and field event after clocking 1:55.21 at the last Olympic edition in Tokyo, but will not be part of the Paris fiesta.
“He miss is a big blow to me. I was looking forward to race against her, because she is a tough opponent and no her presence would have made us work harder and possibly post faster times,” she said.
Moraa beat Mu during last year’s Word Chmapionships in Budapest – Hungary, as she won the title in 1:56.03 but insists there was more business to be settled between them, showing sympathy for the Sudan-born athlete.
“I like it when the competition is tough. It pushes me to surpass my limits,” she said.
In the men’s side, Kidali who will be making his Olympic debut has emphasised the critical importance of speed endurance in his training regimen.
“My body is responding well, and now I’m focusing on speed endurance because in the Olympics, endurance is crucial to navigate through all the races.”
He ran a 1:42.66 at the national trials, just behind Kinyamal who clocked 1:42.50, while Wanyonyi posted the second-fastest time of the season at 1:41.70. Despite Djamel Sedjati of Algeria setting a remarkable world-leading time of 1:41.56 at the Paris Diamond League last weekend, the Kenyan trio is focused on securing podium finishes at the Olympics.
Another contender to watch out for is world champion Marco Arop of Canada, who defeated Wanyonyi to win gold at the Budapest Championships last year.
Athletics Kenya middle-distance coach Bernard Ouma has expressed satisfaction with the team’s preparations leading up to the games.
“The training has been rigorous and focused. Today, we concentrated on the 800m discipline, conducting race simulations and refining speed techniques, all part of our meticulous plan leading up to the Paris games,” he explained
In their final preparations, the Kenyan team will continue their intensive training camp in Miramas, France.
