Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Daily Nation
Published on 2024-01-26 17:07:34
At the Third Athletics Kenya Track and Field Meeting in Nairobi, world 800m champion Mary Moraa and former world 800m champion Halimah Nakaayi both secured spots in the finals of their respective races.
Africa 4x100m champion Hesbon Ochieng’ posted the fastest qualifying time of 10.29 seconds in the 100m heats on the opening day of the championships, while former national 100m champion Mark Otieno made a comeback after two years with an impressive 10.41.
Moraa comfortably won her 400m heat in 53.00 seconds and expressed her desire to achieve a personal best or national record with a sub 51 seconds in the upcoming final. She holds the national record of 50.38 in the 400m event and is aiming to run 50.30 or 50.20.
In the women’s 400m heats, national record holder Moraa and Prisons’ athlete Milicent Ndoro secured their places in the finals, with Moraa targeting a personal best or national record in the event.
Nakaayi, the 2019 world 800m champion, dominated her semi-final heat in the 800m event with the fastest time of the day, clocking 2:02.52. She expressed her excitement to compete in Kenya for the first time and hopes to inspire the younger generation of middle distance athletes.
The championships also saw impressive performances in other events, including Rebecca Mwangi from Central winning the women’s 10,000m and Ochieng setting a personal best time of 10.29 in the men’s 100m heats.
Overall, the athletes showcased their determination and talent as they competed for a chance to qualify for future international competitions such as the Paris Olympic Games.
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