Mweresa, Oketch power Team Kenya to World Championships
Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 11.05.25. | 10:02
Men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m teams, which failed to qualify for Sunday's finals, still have an opportunity to qualify for the global event
Kenya men’s 4x400m and mixed 4x400m relay teams stormed to the final of the World Athletics Relay Championships in Guangzhou, China, set for Sunday, 11 May.
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With that, the two teams earned tickets to the World Athletics Championships scheduled for 14 to 21 September in Tokyo, Japan.
Kenya's men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m teams, which failed to qualify for Sunday's finals, still have an opportunity to qualify for the world championships in the second qualifying round on Sunday.
They must finish in the top five in the qualifier to get the ticket.
The eight nations that reached the finals of their respective events qualified directly for this year’s Tokyo World Championships. However, six more teams will earn tickets from the second qualifying races on Sunday.
After Zablon Ekwam clocked 45.73, skipper Boniface Mweresa went in front with a quick 44.52 before handing over the baton to Brian Tinega for 45.74. Kelvin Kipkorir anchored in 45.73 as Kenya finished second in 3:00.88, setting the third fastest time in the qualifying round.
The performance ensured Kenya returns to the biennial World Championships men’s 4x400m relay for the first time since Moscow 2013.
“It is a great feeling to qualify for the finals and, most importantly, to the world championships,” Kipkorir told Nation Sport.
“Our message is clear to those who doubted us. The best is yet to come from us,” said Ekwam. “We have worked for this performance back in Kenya and everyone put their best foot forward.”
Meanwhile, Mercy Oketch (45.69) anchored the 4x400m mixed relay team of Kipkorir (45.69), Mercy Chebet (51.91), and David Sanayek (45.45) to third place in 3:13.41 in heat two.
The time was enough to see the team qualify for the final for the first time since 2019 Yokohama when they claimed bronze.
Despite running a Kenyan record in men’s 4x100m to finish third, the Ferdinand Omanyala-led team failed to make the final. The team returned a blistering 38.35 but still missed out on the direct qualification for the world championships.
Omanyala (9.07), Mweresa (10.69), Meshak Babu (9.54), and Steve Onyango (10.69) shattered the previous national record of 39.28 set at the 2022 Africa Senior Athletics Championships in Saint Pierre, Mauritius.
Teams qualified for Tokyo and competing in the finals on Sunday
Women’s 4x100m
Belgium, Canada, Germany, Great Britain & NI, Jamaica, Netherlands, Spain, United States
Men’s 4x100m
Canada, Italy, Germany, Great Britain & NI, Japan, Poland, South Africa, United States
Women’s 4x400m
Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, South Africa, Spain, United States
Men’s 4x400m
Belgium, Botswana, China, France, Great Britain & NI, Kenya, Portugal, South Africa
Mixed 4x400m
Australia, Belgium, Great Britain & NI, Ireland, Kenya, Poland, South Africa, United States
