Kenya's Obiri, Kipyegon to star at Birmingham Diamond League

Source: Xinhua| 2017-08-16 21:50:41|Editor: Xiang Bo
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NAIROBI, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- World 5,000m champion Hellen Obiri and 1,500m winner Faith Kipyegon of Kenya will lead a host of Olympic and world medallists to compete at the Birmingham Diamond League meeting on Sunday.

Obiri (5,000m), Consenlus Kipruto (3,000m steeplechase) and Kipyegon (1,500) did not return to Nairobi together with the Kenya team that arrived on Tuesday as they proceeded to Birmingham for the event, the 12th stop in the 14-tier series.

Alongside Birmingham, there will also be stops in Zurich and Brussels in September.

Obiri will make an attempt to run fastest time in the 3,000m distance but will not be seeking to set a new world record.

"I am enjoying a very good form in my career and the temptation of running fast is real," she said.

"But we will see what arrangements are on the ground and decide if a world record is possible but at the moment, running fast time is all I want."

The Birmingham Diamond League meeting will be held exactly one week after the end of the IAAF World Championships in London.

Obiri will be up against compatriots Lilian Kasait, Agnes Tirop, the world cross country champion, Emily Tuei and Margaret Chelimo. Others are Emma Coburn of the United States and Etonosh Diro of Ethiopia.

In the 1,500m, Olympic champion Kipyegon will be out to challenge Winnie Chebet, Poland's Angelika Cichonka and Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay.

In the men's 800m race, London 2017 finalist Kyle Langford will be looking to put on another spectacular show when he races new world silver and bronze medallists Adam Kszczot and Kipyegon Bett.

In addition to Kszczot and Bett, the 2015 European junior champion will be up against London 2012 Olympic 800m silver medallist Nijel Amos, three-time 1,500m world champion Asbel Kiprop and British 800m champion Eliot Giles.

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