Six world leads were set and four meet records fell as the 2024 Kip Keino Classic, a World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting, concluded in Nairobi on Saturday.
Olympic silver medalist Kenny Bednarek of the United States delivered on his promise to win the signature men’s 100m crown, dethroning home favorite and African record holder Ferdinand Omanyala, who faded to fifth.
The men’s 100m race, the final event of the meeting, was run under showers, eliminating the chance of a blistering time.
Confusion at the start saw the athletes recalled for a false start, but no one was disqualified as nerves set in with an expectant crowd braving the heavy downpour.
The 25-year-old American held his nerve to eat up the meters from lane four before charging to dip well clear at the finish in 9.91 seconds.
Liberian Emmanuel Matadi, 33, took silver in 9.99 with Jeremiah Azu of Britain taking bronze in 10.00.
Omanyala, the continental record holder and last year’s winner at Kip Keino, had started well but faded in the final few meters to finish fifth in 10.03.
American Courtney Lindsey underlined his Paris Olympics credentials when he scorched to a world lead-equaling 19.71-second victory in the men’s 200m, also setting a Kip Keino Classic meet record.
Lindsey edged Botswana’s World Championships runner-up Letsile Tebogo, who was also credited with 19.71, on a photo finish.
Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori ran the world leading 44.10 seconds in a blistering men’s 400m to outperform Tokyo Olympic relay gold winner, American Bryce Deadmon (44.41) and another Botswanan Leungo Scotch (44.54).
Amalie Iuel of Norway ran a 54.89 meet record in the women’s 400m hurdles.
Home athletes also delivered leading times in the middle-distance races.
World 800m silver medalist, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, opened his season in emphatic fashion, pounding the tartan to produce a 1:43.57 world lead.
Aaron Cheminingwa finished second in a 1:44.10 career best with Olympic silver medalist Ferguson Rotich (1:44.90) rounding out the all-Kenyan podium.
World champion Mary Moraa served notice of her intent to add the Olympic crown this summer when she blasted to a meet record of 1:57.96 in the women’s 800m showdown.
Abraham Kibiwot (8:20.54) and Reynold Cheruiyot (3:31.96) also won the men’s 3,000m steeplechase and men’s 1,500m races in world leading times.
In men’s hammer throw, Canada’s Ethan Katzberg produced a huge upset when he threw a world leading 84.38m, also a meet record, to stun Olympic champion Wojciech Nowicki of Poland.
Mykhaylo Kokhan (80.76m) of Ukraine took the silver medal ahead of Nowicki (79.14m).
