NAIROBI, Sept 12 (Xinhua) -- Kenya is calling on its sprinters and field event athletes to step up their game and contest for medals if the country is to reclaim the overall title at the World Championships.
Athletics head coach Julius Kirwa said that the country is facing stiff challenges in its traditional middle and long distance races and must open up to field events and sprints to challenge muscle of champions, United States.
However, only four athletes - Olympic javelin silver medalist Julius Yego and 400m trio of Alphas Kishoyian, Hellen Syombua, and Mary Moraa - have the qualification mark to compete at the championships, which will be held in Doha, Qatar from Sept 27 to Oct. 6.
"Kenya has the talent and the athletes need a little push to break the glass ceiling. Running in Nairobi in the trials for the World Championships offers them the last chance to hit the qualifying standards and we are hopeful that the likes of Gladys Nthenya, Millicent Ndoro, and Linda Kahega will make the team," Kirwa said on Thursday in Nairobi.
Kenya is hosting a two-day championship in Nairobi to select its best 50 athletes for the World Championships.
Kirwa pointed out at the sacrifice that the late Nicholas Bett made when he raced to Kenya's first gold medal in the sprints at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing, China.
"We need them to step up and fill the void left by Bett. Yego has also proved he is a worthy opponent when he is injury-free. He won gold in Beijing in the javelin and he will be at his best in Doha after he showed he has shaken the injury off, winning in the Africa Games," said Kirwa.
However, Kirwa said they hope Moraa will get back to her feet after she was diagnosed with a bout of malaria. Moraa missed the Africa Games medal by a whisker as she came in fourth in Rabat, Morocco last month.
In the field events, Maximila Imali has her work cut out as she chases the qualifying distance of 6.72m. Her current best time is 6.43m.
Others, who are hopeful of making the team, going by their proximity to the respective qualifying standards, is Isaac Kirwa in men's long jump, Bethwell Lagat in the triple jump and high jump's Matthew Sawe, who is only 0.05m shy of the qualifying height.
