KASARANI, KENYA, May 13 — As “home team” Kenyans put on a display of very fine distance racing at a mile of altitude, U.S. sprinters and local fave Ferdinand Omanyala dashed fast in the thin air as well at the third annual Keino Classic CT meet.
In the crowd-pleasing final event, the men’s 100, African champion Omanyala controlled the proceedings from the get-go en route to a world-leading 10.84 with a mild negative wind (-0.5).
Omanyala started best ahead of OG/WC 200 silver medalist Kenny Bednarek to his left and WC 100 silver man Marvin Bracy-Williams on his right. By 50m the Kenyan had more than a stride on both Americans and proceeded to power to the win about 1.5m up on Bednarek (10.98). Bracy-Williams placed 3rd at 10.03.
Americans TeeTee Terry and Sha’Carri Richardson scored victories in the women’s sprints, as Richardson utterly dominated the 200 with the second-fastest time of her career.
Richardson, 100 winner at the Doha DL, said she was asked by organizers to run the 200 here. While Kenyan President William Ruto claimed otherwise (Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was a late scratch from the 100), that hardly mattered. Richardson made the most of her half-lap — running the final 25-plus-meters with arms spread to each side in an early celebration and still winning by a whopping 0.7 margin.
She tore out of the blocks in lane 5 showing a remarkably quick cadence and closed the stagger to Gina Bass on her outside by 50m. She passed halfway in close to 11.0 almost 4m ahead of Bass and with a loose ponytail bouncing behind her.
Richardson maintained her rat-a-tat-tat stride pattern until she called it a day 15 steps from the line and flung wide her arms. Her time at the finish was 22.07, the wind reading was 1.7 and her lead on late-closing Kyra Jefferson (22.77) and Shannon Ray (22.82 PR) was about 6m.
Assessing her race as “amazing,” Richardson added, “Once again I’ve been kicked out of a 100 — in [Gaborone] Botswana and also here in Kenya. I knew I had to do my best with the performance that I was allowed to run in.
“Despite what others may have done on social media and said, no one asked me to run the 100, therefore I knew that I needed to do what I know to do in my 200. And I’m blessed for it, I was excited that I ran because of how I was feeling. I kind of was disappointed in the [event choice] but still I knew what it is that I needed to do.
“It was more than for myself; [it was] for my fans, for my loved ones and also for the people that don’t want to see me do great. I knew I still had to come out here and execute. I’m honored. Peace, love and light.”
Besides Omanyala, winners established world leads in the men’s 800, 1500 and hammer, while Yaroslava Mahuchikh’s winning HJ mark, 6-6¾ (2.00), was an outdoor leader.
While not the only stirring distance races, the wins by 18-year-olds Emmanuel Wanyoni in the 800 and Raynold Kipkorir in the 1500 came with splendid finishes.
In the former lightly regarded Aaron Kemei had a 15m lead at 600, which Wycliffe Kinyamal erased in a furious run around the curve followed by Wanyonyi. Two meters down off the curve, the teen surged in the straight, collared WC finalist Kinyamal 30m out and bested him 1:43.32–1:43.66 at the line to reach No. 6 all-time on the Junior list with ’16 World 1500 champ Timothy Cheruiyot 3rd (1:44.99).
In the 1500, Abel Kipsang, who ran 3:29.56 for 4th at the Tokyo Olympics, set out to win it off a 2:23.54 pace through the kilo from the rabbit. Kipsang covered his last 300 in a zippy 41.06 yet World Junior champ Kipkorir rushed past him 60m out for a decisive PR win by 3.5m, 3:32.01–3:32.70.
KEINO CLASSIC RESULTS
(altitude 1609m)
100(-0.5): 1. Ferdinand Omanyala (Ken) 9.84 (WL);
2. Kenny Bednarek (US) 9.98; 3. Marvin Bracy (US) 10.03; 4. Emmanuel Eseme (Cam) 10.03 NR; 5. Brandon Carnes (US) 10.14; 6. Pablo Mateo (Fra) 10.18 PR; 7. Jerome Blake (Can) 10.20.
200(0.9): 1. Aaron Brown (Can) 20.12; 2. Kyree King (US) 20.18; 3. Joe Fahnbulleh (Lbr) 20.19; 4. Filippo Tortu (Ita) 20.30; 5. Mouhamadou Fall (Fra) 20.49; 6. Blessing Afrifa (Isr) 20.76; 7. Isaac Makwala (Bot) 20.80.
400: 1. Muzala Samukonga (Zam) 44.25; 2. Vernon Norwood (US) 44.68; 3. Gilles Biron (Fra) 45.52 PR; 4. Boniface Mweresa (Ken) 45.73; 5. Dylan Borlée (Bel) 45.85; 6. Kevin Borlée (Bel) 46.15;… dnf—Machel Cedenio (Tri).
800: 1. Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Ken) 1:43.32 PR (WL) (6, x WJ);
2. Wycliffe Kinyamal (Ken) 1:43.66; 3. Timothy Cheruiyot (Ken) 1:44.99; 4. Tshepiso Masalela (Bot) 1:45.24 PR; 5. Tolesa Bodena (Eth) 1:45.79; 6. Tshepo Tshite (SA) 1:45.89; 7. Aaron Kemei (Ken) 1:46.20 PR; 8. Elias Ngeny (Ken) 1:46.62; 9. Ferguson Rotich (Ken) 1:46.78; 10. Collins Kipruto (Ken) 1:46.91.
1500: 1. Raynold Kipkorir (Ken) 3:32.01 PR (WL);
2. Abel Kipsang (Ken) 3:32.70; 3. Vincent Keter (Ken) 3:36.92; 4. Adisu Girma (Eth) 3:37.80; 5. Kamar Etyang (Ken) 3:37.84; 6. Yohannes Asmare (Eth) 3:38.07 PR; 7. Ermiyas Girma (Eth) 3:38.35.
St: 1. Amos Kirui (Ken) 8:18.45; 2. Abraham Kibiwot (Ken) 8:19.71; 3. Leonard Bett (Ken) 8:20.02; 4. Leonard Chemutai (Uga) 8:23.53 PR; 5. Amos Serem (Ken) 8:29.56; 6. Benjamin Kigen (Ken) 8:30.81.
5000: 1. Teddese Lemi (Eth) 13:26.58 PR; 2. Ishmael Rokitto (Ken) 13:27.34 PR; 3. Peter Maru (Uga) 13:28.14; 4. Emmanuel Kiprop (Ken) 13:36.79; 5. Mohamed Ismail Ibrahim (Dji) 13:44.75; 6. Taha Adem (Eth) 13:45.50 PR; 7. Cornelius Kemboi (Ken) 13:48.66.
HT: 1. Wojciech Nowicki (Pol) 261-9 (79.78) (WL);
2. Ethan Katzberg (Can) 250-7 (76.38); 3. Donát Varga (Hun) 243-2 (74.12); 4. Hilmar Örn Jónsson (Ice) 243-1 (74.11); 5. Hrístos Frantzeskákis (Gre) 241-5 (73.59).
JT: 1. Timothy Herman (Bel) 286-7 (87.35) NR; 2. Anderson Peters (Grn) 281-3 (85.72); 3. Ihab Abdelrahman (Egy) 265-10 (81.04); 4. Waldo Smith (SA) 258-7 (78.83); 5. Julius Yego (Ken) 253-5 (77.24); 6. Rolands Štrobinders (Lat) 253-3 (77.21)
Women’s Events
100(2.5): 1. TeeTee Terry (US) 10.86w; 2. Zoe Hobbs (NZ) 10.97w; 3. Rani Rosius (Bel) 11.08w; 4. Bassant Hemida (Egy) 11.09w; 5. Gina Bass (Gam) 11.09w; 6. Esther Mbagari (Ken) 11.66w; 7. Teahna Daniels (US) 11.73w.
200(1.7): 1. Sha’Carri Richardson (US) 22.07 (AL);
2. Kyra Jefferson (US) 22.77; 3. Shannon Ray (US) 22.82 PR; 4. Bass 22.91; 5. Arialis Martinez (Por) 23.05 PR.
800: 1. Mary Moraa (Ken) 1:58.83; 2. Netsanet Desta (Eth) 2:00.14; 3. Vivian Chebet (Ken) 2:00.54 PR; 4. Tigist Girma (Eth) 2:00.97 PR; 5. Prudence Sekgodisa (SA) 2:01.19.
1500: 1. Janat Chemusto (Uga) 4:01.79 PR (previous PR 4:14.30); 2. Nelly Chepchirchir (Ken) 4:04.56 PR; 3. Hawi Abera (Eth) 4:06.15 PR; 4. Winfred Yavi (Bhr) 4:06.34; 5. Lydia Lagat (Ken) 4:07.02 PR; 6. Dadi Bube (Eth) 4:07.05 PR; 7. Winny Chebet (Ken) 4:07.32.
St: 1. Beatrice Chepkoech (Ken) 9:13.51; 2. Faith Cherotich (Ken) 9:15.08; 3. Jackline Chepkoech (Ken) 9:25.63; 4. Lomi Muleta (Eth) 9:30.66.
5000: 1. Beatrice Chebet (Ken) 15:15.82; 2. Margaret Kipkemboi (Ken) 15:16.28; 3. Judy Kiyeng (Ken) 15:16.66 PR; 4. Caroline Nyaga (Ken) 15:20.01.
HJ: 1. Yaroslava Mahuchikh (Ukr) 6-6¾ (2.00) (out WL);
2. Laura Zialor (GB) 6-2¾ (1.90); 3. Kateryna Tabashnyk (Ukr) 6-1¼ (1.86); 4. Yuliya Levchenko (Ukr) 6-1¼.
HT: 1. Janee’ Kassanavoid (US) 243-7 (74.25); 2. Janeah Stewart (US) 234-4 (71.43); 3. Anita Włodarczyk (Pol) 230-6 (70.27); 4. Bianca Ghelber (Rom) 228-5 (69.62); 5. Beatrice Nedberge Llano (Nor) 221-6 (67.52). ◻︎