AK confirms national trials for Africa Senior Athletics Championships
Athletics Kenya has confirmed 21-22 May as the dates for the national trials for the African Senior Athletics Championships set for Douala, Cameroon.
The two-day meet had previously been postponed citing unavoidable circumstances in an official statement by the athletics governing body.
Athletics Kenya 🇰🇪 invite you to the
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS/TRIALS
FOR AFRICA SENIOR ATHLETICS
CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024. Join us at Ulinzi Sports Complex as we celebrate our athletic stars.
VENUE: ULINZI SPORTS COMPLEX, LANGATA ROAD, NAIROBI.
Dates: May 21-22, 2024.
Time: 8:30AM pic.twitter.com/0yMHjC7bLi— Athletics Kenya (@athletics_kenya) May 20, 2024
"The athletics Kenya National Championships which were scheduled to be held from 16-18 May at The Nyayo Stadium has been postponed due to unavoidable circumstances," the statement read.
"The event which will also serve as Trials for Africa Senior Athletics Championships, will now be held on May 21-22 2024 at Ulinzi Sports Complex, Langata Road, Nairobi," the statement continued.
National athletics Championships
at Ulinzi Complex PHOTO/Athletics Kenya/@athletics_kenya/X
The event will be used by AK to pick the team that will head to Cameroon for the week long Africa games slated for 15-22 June, 2024 where Kenya are the overall champions.
The last edition saw 636 athletes from 50 nations participate in 45 disciplines at the Cot d’Or National Sports Complex, Mauritius. Kenya won the overall title, picking a total of 23 medals which included 10 gold, five silver, and eight bronze.
Olympic slots in line
Olympic slots will also be up for grabs, athletes who are yet to qualify aiming to use the event to bolster their chances of joining the team heading to Paris.
Former Olympic silver medalist Julius Yego and multiple national champion Mark Otieno will be in contention hoping to make the cut for the continental showdown which offers a chance to get on the plane to Paris.
The International Olympic Committee directing that 1 July, 2023, to 30 June, 2024, be the qualifying and ranking period for all individual events, with the exception of the 10,000m, marathon, combination events, and race walks.
The qualifying and ranking period for the 10,000m, combination events, race walks, and relays will take place from December 31, 2022, to June 30, 2024.
Cameroon had been entrusted with hosting rights to the African Senior Athletics championship in 2022, but had to forego with the nation winning a bid to host the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. The western African nation was then re-tasked to host the championships in a CAA congress in Lusaka, Zambia.
Athletes aiming to qualify for the Olympics include Emily Ngii and Samuel Gathimba, the African race-walk champions who will be out to defend their national and continental titles.
The selected Kenyan team will be aiming for a third successive victory albeit stiff competition from South Africa and Nigeria who have won it twice and once respectively in the past five years.
