All eyes will be on Faith Kipyegon’s ambition for a third world title in the women’s 1500m, while Kenyan eyes will also be trained on the 3,000m men’s steeplechase final, as Kenya looks to reclaim its crown.
Here is the rundown of what to expect from Team Kenya under the lights on Tuesday night.
8:20pm – Men’s 800m Heats
Emmanuel Korir’s ambition to defend his crown begins in earnest as he lines up in Heat five. Since winning his title in Oregon last year, Korir hasn’t been in exact tip top form, but he will be out to prove his doubters wrong with a measured performance on his first outing.
So much has been season not been in good measure, that he is the slowest this season from his heat.
France’s Benjamin Robert (1:43.48) is the fastest from this Heat and Korir has his work cut out with a potent field.
Eyes will also be on youngster Emmanuel Wanyonyi. The 2021 World U20 Champion, ranked fifth globally this year, lines up in Heat One.
He won the Kenyan trials and has had further victories in the Rabat and Paris Diamond League meets as well as the Kip Keino Classic to further boost his pedigree.
He also won the Kenyan trials and has a season’s best time of 1:43.27 to match for his performances.
Other Kenyans in the line up to compete include youngster Alex Ngeno who lines up in Heat Three as well as the evergreen Ferguson Rotich who lines up in Heat Four.
10:31pm – Women’s 1500m final
Cometh the hour, cometh the woman. Three world records to her name this season, Faith Kipyegon will be the athlete to watch when the gun sounds for the final of the women’s 1500m.
She is doubling in Budapest, with the 5,000m also within her horizon, but she clearly stated that all her focus is on the 1500m. She is seeking a historic third title, an achievement that will definitely put her clear as the best of all time in the distance.
Kipyegon has never failed to win a medal in the event since 2017. She won the tile in that year and last year in Oregon, and clinched silver in Doha 2019 when she had just returned from maternity leave.
She is a woman on form this season with the 1500m, 5,000m and mile records all in her name within a span of 30 days. She showed her form with measured and effortless performances in the heats and semis.
Budapest will test her resolve in what is expected to be a blockbuster race. She will have the young Nelly Chepchirchir for company, and the lanky 20 year old also showed her form with wins in the heats and semis.
Also to watch out for in the race is Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan. Hassan had travelled to Budapest with an ambition of winning three gold medals; the 10,000m, 1500m and 5,000m.
Having fallen a few meters to the finish line in the women’s 10,000 and still carrying the wounds from her fall on her arms and legs, she will look for redemption.
Sifan lost to Kipyegon in Oregon last year, and the two will renew their rivalty once again.
10:42pm – Men’s steeplechase final
The Kenyan trio of Simon Koech, Leonard Bett and Abraham Kibiwott will look to reclaim the steeplechase crown from Morocco’s Soufiane El Bakkali, who has dominated straight on from the Tokyo Olympic Games.
The Kenyans have played second fiddle to El Bakkali as well as Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma this season, and it will be another African showdown when they line up on Tuesday night.
Off the heats, Bett and Koech finished third while Kibiwott finished fourth, but they all seemed to have conserved some energy, with the gigantic battle against the lanky Moroccan on their minds.
Can the trio bring back respect to Kenya?
