Ngetich shines in Grand Slam as Kenyan stars target final races

Fresh from shattering the women-only 10km world record in Germany last Saturday, Agnes Jebet Ngetich is writing one chapter after another of her athletics dexterity.

On day one of the Grand Slam Track in Miami on Friday night (morning hours in Kenya), Ngetich was off to a flying start and had no room for disappointment.

She won the women’s 5000m event in a hotly contested race and scooped the maximum 12 points ahead of the 3000m catfight in the final tonight.

"I saw the field was competitive, and I tried to push because I knew at the end it would be more kick," Ngetich said after winning a race that saw her go neck-and-neck with Medina Eisa of Ethiopia.

"We had to push for the laps and reduce the number of leaders.

"The crowd made a lot of noise, and that pushed me a lot."

Ngetich, who also holds the 10km world record from a mixed race, ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/amp/athletics/article/2001515662/kenyan-stars-post-mixed-results-in-kingston-grand-slam-track">injected a stormy pace< once more in the Miami leg of the Grand Slam Track series as she continued her strong dominance this season. She set the 29:27 women-only record at the Road to Records in Herzogenaurach.

In Miami, Ngetich charged across the finish line at the Ansin Sports Complex in 14:25.80, finishing top in the event ahead of Eisa, who timed 14:25.92.

Hirut Meshesha, also from Ethiopia, placed third as Ngetich’s compatriot Janeth Chepngetich finished fifth, with five points.

Eisa and Meshesha earned eight and six points, respectively, placing them in contention for high rankings ahead of the women’s 3000m tonight, through to Monday morning in Kenya. Eisa had also notched up her third 5km victory in Herzogenaurach, taking the women’s race in 14:48 in a close finish from compatriots Fotyen Tesfay (14:50) and Gela Hambese (14:51).

She had, on April 26, as she smashed the women-only record that was previously held by fallen star Agnes Tirop, promised to make the team to the 2025 Tokyo World Championships in September.

“After missing out on the Olympics last year, I want to make up for it this year at the World Championships,” she told World Athletics last Saturday.

Former world champion Timothy Cheruiyot and Olympic silver medallist Ronald Kwemoi struggled to collect strong points in their respective groups.

Cheruiyot was sixth in the men’s 1500m – a contest won by Great Britain’s Josh Kerr, an Olympic silver medallist.

Yared Nuguse of the USA and compatriot Cole Hocker settled for the second and third positions.

World 800m champion Marco Arop, who was among the top contenders, ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/business/sports/article/2001514230/major-showdown-as-new-grand-slam-track-league-kicks-off">finished seventh behind Cheruiyot<, who clocked 3:35.61.

Kerr took the 12 points in 3:34.51, and Cheruiyot, who settled for three points, will be looking to redeem himself with the 800m race tonight.

Kwemoi and Amon Kemboi took the sixth and seventh places in the 3000m competition.

The men’s 3000m ended with strong talking points, particularly the surprise win by Irish star Andrew Coscoran, who shocked 5000m indoor record holder Grant Fisher of the USA.

Fisher, a favourite, came in second ahead of George Mills of Great Britain.

Today, world champion Mary Moraa will know whether she has the pedigree to run 1500m.

With strong points in 1500m, Moraa is expected to fire a warning shot in her 800m specialty tomorrow night/Monday morning.

Moraa is in a star-studded field assembled for super-speeds in the ="https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/sports/sports/article/2001515808/was-grand-slam-track-a-sign-of-contests-this-season">women’s short distance group<.

She will be facing world indoor champion Freweyni Hailu of Ethiopia and compatriot Diribe Welteji, a world silver medallist as well as Olympic silver medallist Jessica Hull of Australia and Nikki Hiltz of USA.