Maurine Chebor wins the women's 200m at the Athletics Kenya combined trials/ TEDDY MULEI 

‎Rising distance star Maurine Chebor has thrown down the gauntlet ahead of the African Senior Athletics Championships set for May 12–17 in Accra, Ghana, after slicing through the 5,000m qualifying mark with authority.

‎Chebor stamped her class on the opening day of the three-day Athletics Kenya combined trials for the World Relays and African Championships at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, clocking 15:51.04 to storm to victory in the women’s 5,000m. Her time dipped comfortably below the 16:18.0 entry standard for the continental showpiece.

‎In a tightly contested finish, Chebor unleashed a decisive kick to outgun Joyline Chepkemoi, who settled for second in 15:53.08, while Cynthia Chepkurui followed in 16:00.99, both athletes also cruising under the qualifying mark. Nancy Jepkemei also dipped under the qualifying standard after timing 16:15.68.

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‎Despite the commanding display, Chebor admitted she had to dig deep, still shaking off fatigue from last weekend’s Betika BingwaFest finals in Meru. ‎“The race was good for me. I had a bit of fatigue from the BingwaFest finals in Meru, but I pushed myself for a strong result at the trials,” Chebor said.

‎At the Meru showpiece, she had already signalled her endurance prowess, stopping the clock at 32:17.02 to clinch top honours in the women’s 10,000m. Now, with the African Championships standard secured, Chebor is brimming with belief and intent, promising fireworks in Ghana.

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‎‎“I am very happy to have met the qualifying mark. When I go to represent Kenya, I will deliver good results,” she asserted. ‎The Accra assignment will mark her second continental outing, having previously donned national colours at the 2023 African Under-20 Championships in Zambia. ‎“I represented Kenya in 2023 in Zambia as a junior, and now I’m stepping up to the senior level. I can see a lot of improvement in myself,” she noted.

‎In Zambia, Chebor placed sixth in 17:34.29, in a race dominated by Ethiopia’s Wubrist Aschal (16:43.37), Aynadis Mebratu (16:44.53) and Asmarech Anley (16:44.55).

‎Meanwhile, Chepkemoi drew confidence from her runner-up finish, delighted to have booked her place on the team. ‎“I thank God I was able to finish second and qualify for the African Senior Championships,” she said. ‎Like her rival, she is targeting a strong showing in Accra.  “I hope to deliver good results in Ghana.”

‎Elsewhere, the women’s 3,000m steeplechase produced a high-quality contest, with Diana Chepkemoi leading the charge in 9:36.76 ahead of Mercy Chepng’eno (9:38.87) and Mercy Mageso (9:45.27). All three athletes comfortably dipped below the 10:30.0 qualification standard. ‎

Chepkemoi, who trains at the Lemotit camp under coach Paul Kemei, has her sights firmly set on the podium. ‎“I promise my fellow Kenyans that when I go to the African Championships, I will come back with a medal,” she declared. ‎She credited her performance to meticulous preparation. “I trained well, and my coach gave me a strong programme that helped me deliver today.”

‎‎In the field events, Faith Kipsang soared into the record books, setting a new national mark in the women’s triple jump with a leap of 1.80m, eclipsing the previous 1.75m set by Zeddy Chesire in 2023. ‎Her record-breaking effort also sailed past the African Championships qualifying standard of 1.75m. ‎She finished well clear of Margaret Kingi (1.60m) and Eucabeth Chepkemoi (1.55m).

‎‎The 25-year-old was elated with both the qualification and the historic milestone. ‎“The qualifying mark was 1.75m, and I managed to clear it while also setting a national record,” she said.

‎‎Kipsang is no stranger to continental competition, having previously represented Kenya at the 2019 African U20 Championships in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, where she struck gold in the women’s long jump with a 5.83m leap ahead of South Africa’s Rose Xeyi (5.81m) and Ethiopia’s Victory George (5.70m). ‎With Accra looming, she is eager to make another statement on the big stage. ‎“At the African Championships, I promise to do my best,” she affirmed.