Commonwealth Games champion Wiseman Were secured his spot at the World Athletics Championships with a commanding victory, clocking a personal best of 48.34 seconds in the men’s 400m hurdles at the 2025 Kip Keino Classic on Saturday, May 31, at the Ulinzi Sports Complex.
Were triumphed over Botswana’s Kemorena Tisang, who also registered a lifetime best of 48.59 seconds in the second place.
Another Kenyan, Rotich Kipkorir, claimed third place with an impressive personal record of 49.17 seconds.
Reflecting on his win, Were remarked:
“I feel good with the performance. I’m a sub-47:00 athlete though I did not achieve that I am happy with the victory. I will now sharpen on the hurdle clearance I prepare for the Diamond League.”
With the World Athletics Championships scheduled to take place in Tokyo from September 13 to 21, and the qualifying benchmark set at 48.50 seconds, Were’s result not only earns him a coveted spot on the world stage but also cements his status as a formidable contender.
Oketch Breaks Mary Moraa’s record
In another thrilling race, Kenya’s Mercy Oketch shattered the national 400m record with a dominant display, crossing the finish line in a blistering personal best of 50.14 seconds.
Her time eclipsed the previous national record of 50.38 seconds, set by Mary Moraa at the same event in 2023.
Uganda’s Leni Shida finished runner-up in a personal best of 50.39 seconds, while Kenya’s Mercy Chebet secured third place with a lifetime best of 51.52 seconds.
Oketch expressed her elation after toppling her mentor Mary Moraa’s record:
“lt was my plan to break the national record and make the world championships andl did that… it wasn’t easy though since it took hard work and consistency” said Oketch, who recently won bronze in the 4x400m mixed relay at the World Relays.
“I have greatly improved in my starts. Iused to take off the blockS while standing but have worked on that,” she added.
Julius Yego fall short
Earlier in the day, 2016 Olympic silver medalist Julius Yego faced another underwhelming outing, finishing sixth in the men’s javelin with a season-best throw of 78.74m.
The event was won by Brazilian Mauricio Da Silva, who delivered a season’s leading mark of 86.34m. Germany’s Thomas Röhler (80.79m) and Portugal’s Leandro Amos (80.68m) completed the podium in second and third, respectively.