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A list of three events where Kenyans will not have an easy run in their pursuit of gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Kenyan athletes will be hitting the purple track at the Stade de France for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with high expectations from fans back home.
However, there are several events where Team Kenya will face a stern test, following the rise of athletes who have in the recent past, silenced the Kenyan contingent in Diamond League Meetings and the World Athletics continental tour meetings.
Defending champion Faith Kipyegon, world 10,000m record holder Beatrice Chebet, world 800m champion Mary Moraa, world 800m silver medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi and world 5000m bronze medallist Jacob Krop will be some of the Kenyan stars in action in Paris.
However, they will have an uphill task in the French capital where they face off against the best of the best in the world. Pulse Sports highlights the events that Kenya will face a major challenge in.
Men's 3000m Steeplechase
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The men’s 3000m steeplechase will be challenging for the Kenyan contingent that comprises young talents. The event will be represented by Amos Serem, Abraham Kibiwott and Simon Koech who grabbed in the top three slots at the Kenyan Olympic trials.
Team Kenya will be up against Moroccan star Soufiane El Bakkali, the defending champion. Bakkali has raced sparingly this season, conserving his energy for the huge assignment and he will be out to silence critics.
World record holder Lamecha Girma will also be in the mix, having competed in one event this season, the Diamond League Meeting in Stockholm, winning in 8:01.63.
Men's 5000m
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Another event that is likely to give Kenyans a run for their money will be the men’s 5000m that has seen the emergence of new stars in the recent past.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen has dominated the event for long and will surely be out to deny Kenyans a chance to win a gold medal. Krop, Ronald Kwemoi and Edwin Kurgat were selected to represent Kenya in the event.
Women's 3000m Steeplechase
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Reigning world champion Winfred Yavi announced her comeback at the Diamond League Meeting in Paris as she seeks to claim her first Olympic gold medal.
At the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, Yavi finished 10th in the final but her performances last season were nothing short of stunning. She won the gold medal at the World Championships and proceeded to win the Prefontaine Classic, the Diamond League Meeting final before summing up her season with a title at the Asian Games.
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Yavi now heads to Paris in great shape and ready to stun world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech, world 3000m Steeplechase bronze medallist Faith Cherotich and Commonwealth Games champion Jackline Chepkoech.
Men's 100m
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The men's 100m will certainly be challenging for Ferdinand Omanyala, Kenya's sole representative in the field. He faces tough opposition from the American contingent that comprises Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek and Fred Kerley.
Lyles has made his intentions clear and will not be smiling with anyone ahead of descending on the track for the men's 100m. The triple world champion will be out to claim the gold medal, and he has been in great shape so far, losing only one 100m race of the season. He finished second at the Racers Grand Prix behind Jamaica's Oblique Seville who is also a potential threat.
Kishane Thompson, the world leader, also has plans to go for his first Olympic medal and so far, things are looking up for him. Omanyala will also face opposition from Botswanan wunderkind Letsile Tebogo who is just making a comeback after a crisis. He explained that he will be doing everything for his late mother, Seratiwa Tebogo and the youngster will certainly be out to make her proud.
Men's 800m
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The men's 800m will also be a tough race for Team Kenya. Defending champion Emmanuel Korir will not be returning hence the mantle has been left to Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Wycliffe Kinyamal and Koitatoi Kidali.
However, the trio will not have an easy task at the Stade de France. The men's 800m has recently seen crazy times run by Algeria's Djamel Sedjati who will not be stopping anytime soon.
Sedjati clocked the third-fastest time in history at the Diamond League Meeting in Paris before extending the winning streak to the Diamond League Meeting in Monaco. World champion Marco Arop will also be seeking to stamp authority at the Olympics after his dominant run in Budapest last season.
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