Athletics

Images of police officer Roselyn Rakamba quickly spread across social media during the Saba Saba demonstrations on Tuesday, 7 July, with many Kenyans taking notice of her distinctive dreadlocks and imposing athletic physique.While much of the online discussion focused on her appearance, Rakamba is one of Kenya’s most accomplished field athletes, having built an impressive career in the discus and hammer throw while serving in the Kenya Police Service.Download our Mozzart Sport App for more newsShe represents the Kenya Airports Police Unit (KAPU) and has consistently dominated the National Police Service Athletics Championships, winning multiple individual titles in both the women’s discus and hammer throw.Her athletics journey dates back to 2011, when she announced herself on the national stage during a meeting in Mombasa. ##NAJAVA_MECA_9844488##Then aged 21, she claimed victory with a 41-metre discus throw, attracting the attention of experienced coaches who recognized her potential i..

Kenyan marathon great Eliud Kipchoge finished 12th in the second stop of his World Tour at the NB 42K Porto Alegre 2026 Marathon in Brazil on Sunday, 12 July.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsKipchoge, 41, crossed the finish line at the rainy course in a time of 2:18.39, eventually falling way short of his previous time in Brazil 10 years ago, when he ran 2:08.44 to clinch his first Olympic gold medal in Rio de Janeiro.##NAJAVA_MECA_9844488##Running for the second time this year – following his 16th place finish at the Cape Town City Marathon on 24 May – Kipchoge was inside 2:09 to 2:10 marathon pace inside the first 20 kilometers, but faded off in the second half of the race ran on a flat course, to finish almost 10 minutes behind race winner Zineddine Ouria, who took the elite race in 2:08.49.On a personal touch for the two-time Olympic champion, however, Kipchoge was for the second-time in a marathon joined by his wife, Grace Sugut, who again fought bravely to cross the fi..

Kenyan marathon great Eliud Kipchoge does not plan to pursue coaching once his athletics career is over, but instead plans to simply inspire the young generation.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsKipchoge, 41, is undoubtedly in the latter stages of his marathon career, and given the wealth of knowledge he possesses on road and track, many would think it is a perfect fit for him to transition to coaching.Speaking in the days leading up to his participation at the NB42K Porto Alegre Marathon in Brazil on Sunday, 12 July – which is his second stop of his global Eliud’s Running World project – the two-time Olympic gold medalist had a straight answer.##NAJAVA_MECA_9841999##“My answer is no,” Kipchoge told Olympics.com on taking up coaching. “I want to inspire more people than coach people. Coaching means I would concentrate on five or 10 people. I want to inspire millions.”Inspiration has always been a part of Kipchoge, ranging from his personal initiatives at home and beyond, and..

World and Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi will venture into unfamiliar territory when he makes his debut over the 1,000m at Friday’s Monaco Diamond League.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsWanyonyi will lead a strong Kenyan contingent at the prestigious meeting.The 21-year-old will temporarily step away from his signature two-lap event to take on a stacked field led by Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati in what promises to be one of the night’s most intriguing contests at the Stade Louis II.##NAJAVA_MECA_9837947##While it will be Wanyonyi’s first appearance over the distance, Sedjati arrives with experience, having won his only previous 1,000m race in 2:13.97 at the 2024 ACNW Track and Field League meeting in South Africa.Despite his inexperience over the event, Wanyonyi has already demonstrated his versatility beyond the 800m. He opened his 2026 season by winning the 1,500m at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, producing a front-running display to clock 3:34.11 ahead of world b..

Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout will miss next month’s World Athletics U20 Championships after suffering a serious hamstring injury that has brought his remarkable 2026 campaign to an abrupt end.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsThe 18-year-old announced on Instagram on Thursday, 9 July, that he tore his left hamstring during a training session in Brisbane on Wednesday evening, with an MRI confirming an eight-centimeter partial tear of the proximal intramuscular tendon of the long head of the biceps femoris.##NAJAVA_MECA_9838367##Medical assessments classified the injury as a Grade 3C hamstring tear under the British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification (BAMIC), an injury that typically requires several months of rehabilitation. The diagnosis means Gout will not compete in Eugene, where he had been targeting both the 100 meters and 200 meters titles.”I received this morning the MRI report, unfortunately, the news is not good, and I will not be able to compete in Eugen..

Three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon will look to make amends on her shock defeat at last weekend’s Prefontaine Classic when she lines up at the Monaco Diamond League scheduled for Friday, 10 July at the Louis-II stadium.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsKipyegon, 32, has officially been confirmed as a participant in the event, and will take part in the women’s 3000m race, as it had been revealed earlier this year.The Kenyan, shortly after finishing a surprise third at Hayward Field on Saturday, 4 July, remained tentative on whether she would attend the Meeting Herculis EBS, but is now among a star-studded field that will race on the traditionally fast track.Faith Kipyegon reveals reason behind shock defeat at Prefontaine ClassicHaving made it clear that she is coming back to form after battling a hamstring injury that occurred shortly after her track season opener at the Shanghai Diamond League on 16 May, it will be interesting to see how form looks like on a pretty fa..

Kenya’s greatest marathoner, Eliud Kipchoge, has launched an impassioned appeal for Nairobi to be awarded the 2029 World Athletics Championships, arguing that no nation has done more to shape the sport over the past four decades.The two-time Olympic champion said giving Kenya the hosting rights would not only recognise the country’s extraordinary contribution to athletics but also deliver a historic first for Africa, which has never staged the senior World Championships.##NAJAVA_MECA_9833418##Speaking during a virtual media briefing with international journalists, Kipchoge insisted Kenya had long proved itself on the track and roads and now deserved the opportunity to showcase its passion for athletics as a host nation.”I’m telling the world to give us the chance. Giving Kenya the chance is giving back to the sport. Kenya has been winning all the medals and breaking all the world records, winning the Diamond Leagues… winning everything.”The only gift that the world can give Kenya is ..

Legendary Jamaican track and field coach Stephen Francis has been hailed as a man whose legacy will endure for generations, following his passing on Saturday, 4 June.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsFrancis, a much-renowned figure in the sport, is reported by Jamaican outlets to have passed away in hospital, a day after his 64th birthday.The man regarded as one of the best coaches in track had been unwell, and was being treated by a medical team.##NAJAVA_MECA_9832158##Francis, fondly known as ‘Franno’, dedicated his life to the development of athletics in Jamaica, and is credited for helping and guiding stars such as Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, Asafa Powell, and presently Shericka Jackson, to multiple Olympic and world medals.After earning a BSC in management studies from the University of the West Indies and an MBA in finance from the University of Michigan, Francis decided to go into full-time coaching and co-founded the MVP (Maximising Velocity And Power) Track And Field Clu..

Three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon finally let the cat out of the bag on her off-field struggles that have affected her game in recent months, leading up to her shock defeat at the Eugene Diamond League on Saturday, 4 July.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsKipyegon, making her first middle-distance appearance of the season at the Prefontaine Classic on Saturday, produced one of the biggest surprises of the event at Hayward Field, when she finished third in the women’s mile.##NAJAVA_MECA_9831845##Having been a favorite getting into the race, the five-time World Champion was usurped round the final straight by USA’s two-time world indoor medallist Nikki Hiltz, who took the win in a world-leading, meeting record time of 4:17.49.Kipyegon, finishing behind fellow Kenyan Dorcus Ewoi, could only time 4:17.80.In an interview immediately after the race, Kipyegon hinted at some personal challenges behind the scenes that people were unaware of, but were affecting her performance..

Double world record holder Faith Kipyegon suffered a rare defeat on Saturday night after finishing third in the women’s mile at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, United States.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsKipyegon looked on course for victory with 400 metres remaining before American Nikki Hiltz produced a devastating finishing kick to snatch the win in a world leading time of 4:17.49.##NAJAVA_MECA_9834451##Kenya’s world 1500m silver medalist Dorcas Ewoi also finished strongly to claim second place in a personal best of 4:17.62, while Kipyegon settled for third in 4:17.80.The result marked the first time this season that Kipyegon has failed to win, having enjoyed a perfect start to her campaign.She opened her year by winning the Monaco 10km road race in 29:47 before making a successful Diamond League return in Shanghai in May, where she stormed to victory in the women’s 5000m in 14:24.14.Despite missing out on top spot in Eugene, the Kenyan legend remained upbeat, insis..