NAIROBI, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Kenya will have at least 12 athletes in the Africa team for the IAAF Continental Cup, which will be held in Ostrava, the Czech Republic on Sept. 8-9.
According to the IAAF, unlike the 2014 edition, there are no limits on the number of athletes entered from any one country.
This means that all the gold medalists from the Africa Championships and silver medalists will have a shot at the IAAF Continental Cup.
Kenya won 11 gold medals, which grants the winners automatic entry. However, silver medalists in events Kenya did not win will also have a direct ticket.
This means that Kenya will have direct entry for Conseslus Kipruto (steeplechase), Julius Yego (Javelin), Hellen Obiri (5,000m), Elijah Managoi (1,500m), Edward Zakayo (5,000m), Winny Chebet (1,500m), Beatrice Chepkoech (steeplechase), Matthew Sawe (High Jump), Samuel Gathimba and Grace Wanjiru (20km walk), Stacy Ndiwa (10,000m) and Emmanuel Korir (800m).
"Unlike the 2014 edition, there are no limits on the number of athletes entered from any one country."
Each team may also enter up to a maximum of three overall reserve athletes. The deadline for final entries on Aug. 29, said IAAF.
That number might increase should the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) decide to enter more than one athlete from every country for the championships, which will mark the end of the track and field competition this season.
According to a statement by IAAF, each of the four teams -- Africa, Europe, Asia and America -- will be determined by their own Confederations.
While the final entries are still to be confirmed by the confederations, team for Africa will largely be based upon the finishes at the African Championships, which concluded in Nigeria on Sunday.
Several freshly-minted continental champions, including 100 and 200m winner Josee Marie Ta Lou of Cote d'Ivoire, 400 and 800m winner Caster Semenya of South Africa and men's 800m champion Nijel Amos of Botswana and Conseslus Kipruto of Kenya in steeplechase are expected to compete, said the statement.
For Team Europe, the defending Continental Cup champions, selection will be primarily based upon the results at the European Championships that are taking place this week at Berlin's Olympic Stadium.
Women's 100m champion Dina Asher-Smith of Britain has already confirmed that she'll accept the team spot, setting up an intriguing duel with Ta Lou as the pair share the 2018 world lead at 10.85, said IAAF.
Composition of the Asia-Pacific and Americas teams will be based upon athletes' positions on the 2018 performance lists.
Each team will enter two athletes for each individual event and one team for each relay (maximum six athletes).
This year marks the third edition of the IAAF Continental Cup, the successor to 10 editions of the IAAF World Cup in Athletics whose inaugural edition took place in Dusseldorf in 1977. Enditem
