Kenya Picks Marathon Team for Beijing 2008

If you were the head of a national Olympic team, you’d be glad to have Isaiah Kiplagat’s problem: picking who to send to the Beijing Olympics from a pool of world champion marathoners.

Here’s his take on the matter according to Xinhua:

“Kenyan athletes won a total of 50 marathon races last year and so far they have won 25 therefore you will agree with me that coming up with six names from such a pool is a monumental task,” Kiplagat said.

Eventually, Kenya’s athletics officials named the following for the men’s marathon team: 2008 London Marathon winner Martin Lel, his runner up in the same race Samuel Wanjiru and this week’s winner of the Boston marathon Robert Cheruiyot.

World marathon Champion Luke Kibet and winner of this year’s Rotterdam marathon William Kipsang are on standby.

Meanwhile, the women’s team is comprised of world marathon champion Catherine Ndereba,
Salina Kosgei, Martha Komu and second runner up during this year’s Boston Marathon Rita Jeptoo.

So is this selection wise? Not according to one time world marathon champion Douglas Wakiihuri. Wakiihuri is worried that Kenya could lose the men’s Olympic title for fielding runners who have just taken part in grueling races.

“You cannot run two major marathon races in a year and expect to do well. Preparations for a race of the magnitude as the Olympic Games need at least six months,” said Wakiihuri.

INFO SOURCE: Xinhua.net