Junior athletes stole the show as the two day National Athletics Championships concluded today at the Ulinzi Complex in Nairobi .
However some managed to salvage their pride among them the fastest African man Ferdinard Omanyala,former World Champion Julius Yego ,and Lillian Odira who successfully defended their national titles .
Odira clocked 2 minutes 2.08 seconds to emerge victorious in the 800m,ahead of World Under-20 champion Saraa Moraa from Kenya Police, who finished 2nd in 2 minutes 02.56, while Judy Kemunto of South Rift was third in 2:02.93.
Kelvin Loti from Western became the new national champion in the men’s two-lap race with a time of 1 minute 43.61 minutes, 0.03 secs, ahead of 2nd placed Laban Chepkwony of KDF, who was followed by Alex Kipngetich from the Kenya Prisons Services in 1:45.55.
Former World Under-20 champion Reynold Cheruiyot of Kenya Police beat former World champion Timothy Cheruiyot of Kenya Prisons Service in the 1500m race to take the title after clocking 3 minutes 37.23 seconds, 0.05 secs ahead of Cheruiyot, while Kip Keino Classic champion Abel Kipsang from Kenya Police finished 3rd 3:40.20.
Former World Under-20 bronze medallist Simon Koech of KDF beat Olympic bronze medalist Abraham Kibiwott of Police to the 3000m steeplechase title where he timed 8 minutes 22.99 seconds.
Kibiwott took silver in 8 minutes 36.10, followed by KDF’s Benjamin Kigen who settled for bronze (8:39.75).
African fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala of the Kenya Police clocked 10.08 seconds in the 100m final to retain his title ahead of KDF’s duo of Steve Onyango and Meshack Babu who finished 2nd and 3rd positions 10.27 and 10.31 respectively.
Yego managed to retain his title with a 79.27m throw.
Commonwealth Champion Wiseman Were eased to victory to retain his 400m hurdles in 49.21 seconds.
The culmination of the national athletics championships marks the end of the track and field season, with focus now shifting to the national trials set for the 1st and 2nd of August this year, which will be used to select the Kenyan team to the 20th World Championships in Tokyo,Japan.
