Olympics 800m bronze medallist Margaret Nyareira renews rivalry with champion Caster Semenya and silver medallist Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi in the two-lap race during tonight’s Diamond League meeting here in Zurich.
In an interview, Nyareira said she believes Semenya is beatable and it was just a matter of time. “It’s just a matter of time before we catch up with her. It could be today or next week but the gap is becoming small by the day,” she said.
Asked about her expectations, she said she is going for victory. “ I pushed Simenya very close in Rio and I will apply the same tactics here in Zurich. I want to be close to her in the final 100m and engage her in a sprint,” added Nyareira.
Also in the mix is former world 800 metre champion Eunice Sum, who will be attempting to bounce back from a disastrous showing in Rio, where she failed to make it to the final. Sum explained that she had miscalculated her run in Rio and was boxed on the home straight.
“I was boxed in Rio during the semis but I want to make amends here by putting up a good performance,” she added. World champion Marina Arzamasova of Belarus and Lynsey Shard of Great Britain will be the other athletes to watch in the event.
Olympic 3000m steeplechase silver medallist Hyvin Kiyeng renews rivalry with champion and world record holder Ruth Jebet of Bahrain in the water jump event. Jebet has a four point lead over Kiyeng in the race for the Diamond League trophy but the Kenyan is plotting to pull a major upset. “We ran with her in Lausanne last week and she looked exhausted. I want to keep her close in the race so that she does not open a gap on me,” she added.
Kiyeng, who is the world champion, will be assisted by Beatrice Chepkoech, Purity Kirui and Caroline Tuigong. Olympic bronze medallist Emma Coburn of the United States is expected to provide formidable competition
Olympic 10,000 silver medallist Paul Tanui will lead five other Kenyans in the 5,000m race following the horror show in Rio, where the country didn’t enter an athlete in the final for the first time in 50 years. Former Olympic bronze medallists Edwin Soi and Thomas Longosiwa alongside Bethwell Birgen, Conelius Kangongo and Isaiah Koech will lead the hunt but face formidable opposition from Ethiopian Olympic bronze medallist Hagos Gebriwhet and Edris Muktar . United States’ Paul Chelimo alongside the evergreen Bernard Lagat will be the other athletes to watch.
World 400 metre hurdles champion Nicholas Bett will be hoping to improve his form after finishing second last week in Lausanne.