Dj Vnyash
African bronze medallist in the 5,000m, Cornelius Kemboi, will shift his focus to Saturday’s London Diamond League after failing to secure a spot on Kenya’s team for the Paris Olympics. Kemboi finished fifth at the Olympic trials last month with a time of 13:29.73 in the 5,000m, behind Emmanuel Kiplagat (13:28.09), Edwin Kurgat (13:27.75), Jacob Krop (13:27.54), and Ronald Kwemoi (13:27.20).
In London, Kemboi will lead Kenya’s efforts in the men’s 3,000m, marking his second Diamond League appearance this year after placing sixth in the 5,000m in Xiamen, China, where he clocked 13:02.49 on April 20. Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew (13:00.47), Nicholas Kipkorir (12:59.78), and Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma (12:58.96) claimed the top spots in that race.
Recently, Kemboi placed fourth at the FBK Games in Hengelo, Netherlands, running 13:09.76 in the 5,000m, following Ethiopia’s Tadese Worku (13:02.56), Kipkorir (13:02.25), and Talehun Bekele (13:01.12).
Kemboi’s achievements include a bronze medal from the 2022 Bauhaus Galan meet in Stockholm (7:31.26 in the 3,000m), and a gold medal in the 5,000m at the 2021 Night of Athletics in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium (13:00.68).
Joining Kemboi in London will be Emmanuel Kiplagat, a bronze medallist at the 2022 Villa de Laredo 10km Road Race in Spain (27:50), along with US-based Edwin Kurgat and Ibiza 10km Road Race champion Gideon Rono.
