Beatrice Chepkoech sets sights on victory at World Indoor event in Torun

Fresh from breaking the world 5-kilometer road race record on Sunday in Monaco, world 3,000m steeplechase champion Beatrice Chepkoech will be seeking to continue her rich vein of form at World Athletics Indoor Tour in Torun, Poland today.

This time round, Chepkoech will feature in the 3000m, where she will face Genzebe Dibaba, the world indoor record-holder and three-time world indoor champion at the distance.

Chepkoech has had a stellar year so far in the 3000, winning the opening World Athletics Indoor Tour  in Karlsruhe, then set an indoor PB of 8:34.21 over the  distance to place third in Lievin and setting a world 5km record of 14:43 in Monaco three days ago.

However, It is not going to be a  two-horse race though. Ethiopian teenager Lemlem Hailu, who stole the show in Lievin to win in a PB of 8:32.55, is also in the line-up as is her compatriot Fantu Worku.

World indoor 3,000m bronze medallist, Bethwell Birgen face off with world 5,000m silver medallist Selemon Barega of Ethiopia in the men's 1,500m event. Poland's Marcin Lewandowski is also in contention and the meeting record of 3:35.57 looks to be a realistic target for the field.

Collins Kipruto, won the event last year in 1:45.86, has been entered for the 800m, where he will line up against world indoor champion Adam Kszczot of Poland.

However,  Elliot Giles, who won in Karlsruhe and Lievin, starts favourite but will have to contend with European indoor silver medallist Jamie Webb and Swedish record-holder Andreas Kramer.

African bronze medallist Habitam Alemu will start as favourite for the women’s 800m, a scoring event in this year’s World Athletics Indoor Tour. Uganda’s Winnie Nanyondo, Poland’s Joanna Jozwik and Ireland’s Nadia Power – all of whom hold their respective national indoor records – will ensure the race is a competitive one.

posted Wednesday February 17th
by William Njuguna