Wanyonyi, Moraa to Lead Kenya’s Challenge at Monaco Diamond League
Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Mary Moraa are set to spearhead Kenya’s campaign at the Monaco Diamond League tonight, as the global athletics stage heats up in the tenth round of the 2025 season.
Wanyonyi, the reigning Olympic 800m champion, enters the Herculis meeting in France at the top of the standings with 22 points. He will face a packed field in the two-lap showdown, including world champion Marco Arop of Canada, Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati, Botswana’s Tshepiso Masalela, Spain’s Mohamed Attaoui, and France’s Gabriel Tual.
“I’m focused on running smart and fast,” Wanyonyi said ahead of the race. “These are strong competitors, but I’ve prepared well.”
In the women’s 1000m, Mary Moraa, the reigning world 800m champion, will line up alongside Nelly Chepchirchir. The Kenyan duo will race against former world champion Halimah Nakaayi of Uganda and other top contenders in what is expected to be a tactical and fast-paced event.
Jacob Krop, who claimed silver in the 5000m at the 2022 World Championships, will be Kenya’s sole representative in the men’s 5000m. He will be chasing his first Diamond League points of the season. Krop will contend with a deep Ethiopian lineup featuring Yomif Kejelcha, Hagos Gebrhiwet, and Haile Bekele, along with Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew.
In the 3000m steeplechase, world U20 champion Edmund Serem will join Olympic bronze medalist Abraham Kibiwot in a tough race that includes Olympic gold medalist Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco and Ethiopia’s Samuel Firewu.
Kenya enters the meet with high expectations, as the athletes aim to sharpen their form and secure valuable points ahead of the final stages of the Diamond League season. The Monaco meeting is renowned for producing fast times due to its favorable weather, quick track, and elite competition.
With the Olympic Games in Paris just weeks away, performances tonight could serve as both a confidence boost and a signal of intent.
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