NAIROBI, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan Richard Yator hopes to turn around his poor show in cross country and launch the track season with victory in 5,000m race at the explosive Shanghai Diamond League race in China on Saturday.
Yator, a former world youth champion in 3,000m race, faces an acid test in Shanghai, the second stop in the 14-leg Diamond League, against a spirited Ethiopian and Ugandan line-up.
However, Yator will have three other Kenyans Nicholas Kipkorir, Stanley Waithaka and Cornelius Kiplangat to help him scheme the best way to exploit the chinks in their opponents' strategy.
"I have got the endurance and want to launch the campaign with a strong performance. It is the first race for most athletes and many will struggle. Hopefully, I will find the extra strength to edge ahead and win. Shanghai has a good track with fantastic fans to boot. They cheer you along and I intend to exploit these characters," said Yator on Tuesday in Nairobi.
Ethiopia's entourage will be led by reigning world indoor and outdoor champions, Yomif Kejelcha and Muktar Edris, going head to head alongside USA's world and Olympic medalist, Paul Chelimo, and Morocco's former world indoor 1500m champion Abdelaati Iguider.
Add to the picture Selemon Berega, who ran the fastest 5,000m of 2018 to win the super-quick Diamond League final last August, plus fellow Ethiopian Hagos Gebrhiwet, who was second in Brussels, and there's quite a race in prospect in Shanghai, China's premier one-day athletics meeting.
"It is not about who we are running against. This year focus is on the World Championships and Shanghai offers the best platform to gauge our speed and endurance. I am ready for the challenge and I know the Kenyan quartet in the race is strong," added Yator.
The quartet leads a horde of Kenyan runners heading to China for the second Diamond League.
African 1,500m champion Winny Chebet and Nelly Jepkosgei will seek to challenge Dutch star and European 5,000m champion Sifan Hassan over the world's best metric milers at the 2019 Shanghai Diamond League.
Hassan, 26, the Dutch distance runner will be hoping to take her top form onto the track when she headlines the three star-studded distance races in the Shanghai Stadium.
Hassan clocked the third fastest 1,500m time in the world last year when she ran 3:57.41 in London. Alongside the Kenyans, Ethiopia has former world indoor silver and bronze medalists, Gudaf Tseday and Dawit Seyaum to challenge.
In the women's 3,000m steeplechase world record holder, Beatrice Chepkoech, hopes to repeat last year's dramatic victory when she takes on fellow Kenyans Hyvin Kiyeng, the 2015 world champion and Olympic silver medalist, Celliphine Chespol, the current world junior champion, and Norah Jeruto, the 2016 African champion.
Chepkoech won last year's race when Jeruto slipped and fell in the home straight after the pair had broken free before the final lap.
Bahrain's Asian Games champion, Winfred Yavi, and Ugandan teenager Peruth Chemutai, will also be ones to watch as they seek to break up the Kenyan train.
