Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, a world bronze medallist, faced a nail-biting finish in the men’s 200m at the Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour meet in Nairobi on Saturday.
The race came down to a photo finish, with America’s Courtney Lindsey, who holds the season’s best of 19.88, narrowly edging out Tebogo. Both athletes clocked an identical world-leading time of 19.71 seconds.
Tebogo, despite coming in second, expressed satisfaction with his performance, telling reporters, “I am happy because we’ve almost a week getting the legs rolling after we ran in South Africa last month.”
He added, “I feel I executed everything perfectly today.” Looking ahead, Tebogo shared his plans for the season, revealing that his first Diamond League race will be in Eugene on May 25, and he aims to make it to the final in the upcoming Paris Olympics, his debut in the prestigious event.
In another impressive display, Tebogo’s compatriot and training mate, Bayapo Ndori, shone in the men’s 400 meters, setting a world lead of 44.10. This time surpassed Tebogo’s previous season’s best of 44.29, achieved at the Athletics South Africa Grand Prix series in Pretoria last month.
American 400m champion Bryce Deadmon followed in second place with 44.41, while another Botswana runner, Leungo Scotch, set a personal best of 44.54 to secure third.
Kenya’s world 800m champion Mary Moraa returned to the track for her first race over the distance since the world championships in Budapest. Moraa dominated the two-lap race, taking control down the back straight and crossing the finish line in 1:57.96. Her compatriot, Nelly Chepchirchir, finished a distant second in 1:58.26. However, Kenya’s African 100m record holder Ferdinand Omanyala faced disappointment as he finished fifth in his first Kip Keino Classic Continental Tour race since 2021.
Meanwhile, in the men’s 100m, America’s Kenneth Bednarek, the Olympic silver medallist in the 200m, showcased his speed by winning the race in a swift time of 9.91 seconds. Liberian collegiate student Emmanuel Matadi trailed closely behind in 9.99. Reflecting on his performance, Bednarek expressed his satisfaction, saying, “I am very happy with my performance.” These outstanding performances at the Kip Keino Classic highlight the competitive spirit and talent on display, setting the stage for an exciting season ahead for these athletes.
