Two Ugandans will be in action on Friday as the 2023 Wanda Diamond League continues with a sixth meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Multiple World Record holder Joshua Cheptegei will be eyeing top spot in the 5000m while Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai has her work cut out in the Women’s 3000m Steeplechase.
Most Athletes are using this year’s Meetings to prepare for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in August.
Cheptegei is continuing his comeback since that injury that ruled him out of the Commonwealth games in Birmingham last year.
This meeting in Lausanne will be his second this year having finishing a lowly (by his standards) fourth in Italy earlier this month.
Then, he clocked 12:53.81 at the 4th Golden Gala, behind Mohamed Katir (Spain), Yomif Kejelcha (Ethiopia) and Luis Grijalva (Guatemala).
Cheptegei will be facing a tougher field that include the man who beat him to 10,000m gold in Tokyo Selemon Barega.
Besides Barega, the field has more six Ethiopians including World 5km record holder Berihu Alegawi while Balew Birhanu of Brunei is also part.
It’s strong to note that Cheptegei ran a Personal Best of 12:35.36 to set a World Record at this Distance at the Stade Louis II in Monaco back in August 2020.
It’s a time he may not better for now, but he will be fancying his chances in what looks like a classy field.
Chemutai on the other hand, has been a shadow of herself since winning gold in 2020 Olympics Tokyo at this 3000m Steeplechase event.
Then in Tokyo, she clocked 9:01.45 to became Uganda’s first female Olympic gold medallist.
And she is in a classy field that include favourites Beatrice Chepkoech (Kenya) and Mekides Abebe (Ethiopia).
She finished at the tail in a time of 9:31.71 in her only Diamond League race this year in Doha.
