Fresh from winning three gold medals at the World Speed Masters Athletics Championships, Grace Kidake and Simon Losiabai will lead over 300 athletes at the World Masters Trials today at the Ulinzi Sports Complex on Friday.
The event will be used to select a team for the World Masters Championships scheduled for August 13-25 in Sweden.
The Athletics Kenya Masters secretary general, Rose Tata Muya, said athletes between the age of 35-75 are eligible to compete at the trials.
Kidake won three gold medals while Losiaboi clinched two gold medals and a bronze at the four-day championships held May 23 and 26 in Shkodra, Albania.
Kidake won the W35 women's titles in 200m, 400m and 800m while Lokiru, who competed in M50, won gold medals in 400m and 800m and settled for bronze in the 200m.
Kidake won the 800m in 2:21.91 for the title after edging out Great Britain’s Sara Ellen (2:46.75) and South African Luvya Binland (3:11.32) to second and third places.
She followed it up with another victory in the 400m, where she clocked 56.12 seconds ahead of Ellen (1:16.30) and Jennifer Temple (1:17.69).
She completed a hat-trick with a 200m win in a time of 25.75. Great Britain’s Krystle Balogun (26.80) and Roisin McBride in 27.30 completed the podium.
Lokiru won the M65 men’s 800m title in 2:09.74 beating the Algerian duo of Kouider Bouregba (2:27.91) and Hamid Mohamed (2:39.65).
He won second gold in the 400m in 56.92 followed by Portuguese Orlando Alves (57.50) and Great Britain’s Mark Mcallister (58.51).
He settled for silver (27.74) in the 200m behind McAllister (25.46), who emerged top with Paul Allan (27:49) winning bronze.
Tata, who also serves at the President East Africa Masters, said over 300 athletes are set to battle for the slots.
“We expect a good turnout as we seek to take a strong team to the event. These athletes are our potential medals prospects for the World Masters Championships,” said Tata.
