NAIROBI, June 30 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan Olympic champions will have their gloves off as they seek the final proof of their preparedness for the World Championships when they clash in Paris Diamond League meet on Saturday.
Leading the pack is Olympic 1,500m gold medalist Faith Kipyegon and world 3,000m steeplechase champion Hyvin Kiyeng, who carry burden on their back to showcase what they can offer this season after starting off poorly.
There will also be an African affair, with a favorite already designated as youngster Ronald Kwemoi, 21, seeks to curve a niche in the field dominated by experienced athletes.
Kipyegon, who won in Shanghai in 3:59.22 and Prefontaine Classic (Eugene, USA) in 3:59.67, will again be favorite to win in Paris where she was beaten to second place by Laura Muir from Britain last year.
Muir chalked a meet record of 3:55.22, beating Kipyegon to second place in 3:56.72. It will be the first time Kipyegon is facing Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan, who has two fastest times this season with victories from Rome and Hengelo of 3:56.22 and 3:56.14 respectively.
"There is nothing to fear about. I will just run my race and feel how my body reacts ahead of the World Championships," said the World 1,500m silver medalist Kipyegon.
However, Kwemoi who dominated the 3,000m at the Diamond League meeting in Doha, on May 5, with a world best time of 7:28:73 will face off against Ethiopian Yomif Kejelcha, third in Doha, and not yet 20, as well as a world indoor champion last year in Portland and Bahraini Albert Rop, Olympic finalist in Rio over 5,000m, where he finished seventh.
London World Championships-bound World Under-20 800m champion Kipyegon Bett, last year's winner 2014 World Under-20 champion Alfred Kipketer and 2016 Diamond League series winner Ferguson Rotich will face-off in the men's 800m race.
The organisers have also gathered a stellar line-up to play in javelin with no fewer than two other medallists from the last Rio Games. Kenya's Julius Yego (world champion in 2015) and Keshorn Walcott from Trinidad and Czech Jakub Vadlejch, winner in Lille at the European Team Championships (87.95m) will be the athletes to beat in the throw.
The women's 3,000m steeplechase battle is a replica of last year's race where Olympic champion Kenya-born Ruth Jebet of Bahrain set a new world record in a new time of 8:52.78, beating Hyvin Kiyeng, the Olympic silver medallist, to second place in 9:01.96.
Then there will also be World Under-20 3,000m steeplechase champion Cellphine Chespol, who beat Jebet in Eugene with the second fastest time ever and a national record of 8:58.78.
