Team Kenya to World Cross Country Championships hits camp

Athletics Kenya (AK) national team coach Julius Kirwa says he is expecting full house on Wednesday 11 January as athletes selected to represent the country at next month’s World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia begin residential training in Embu.

Kenya will be hoping to wrestle the overall team title from Uganda and Ethiopia who won the men and women’s senior titles while at an individual level the women will hope to defend the title won in 2019 by Hellen Obiri (senior) and Beatrice Chebet (junior) in Denmark.

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The men’s title was won by Joshua Cheptegei with Jacob Kiplimo taking silver while 2015 and 2017 winner Geoffrey Kamworor placed third. The junior title was won by Ethiopia’s Milkesa Mengesha ahead of Tadase Worku and Uganda’s Oscar Chelimo.

“Some of the athletes were required to be at the police pass out on Tuesday so they did not travel with the rest to Embu. We expect them in camp on Wednesday. Training has already started and we expect to harmonize the training programs for all athletes as soon as we are full house.

We have eight athletes per category in camp for both men and women but only six will be selected to travel, the other two are in as reserves as anything can happen between now and 18 February. We want to have the best team for the competition,” offered coach Kirwa.

The athletes in camp were selected during a trials event held at the Kenya Prisons training college in Ruiru on 10 December last year. The top eight finishers made the team with the seventh and eighth place in as reserves.

With just over a month of training, coach Kirwa has revealed that those in camp will not be part of AK’S national cross-country championship set for 21 January as the technical team would not want to take risks of athletes picking injuries ahead of the global championship.

“The athletes are aware that they will not be at the national championships. As we begin training, the coaching unit will have a sit down with them individually and get an understanding of where they are in terms of preparations as that will make the harmonization process smooth, after understanding each athletes’ levels.

I am, however, confident we have a good squad that can deliver for the country in Australia,” Kirwa added.