Kenya spoilt for choice for Olympic marathon

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Kenya spoilt for choice for Olympic marathon

NAIROBI, Kenya - Kenyan athletics authorities said on Monday the selection of the marathon team for next year’s London Olympics would be extremely difficult considering the number of elite runners who have qualified.

Over 50 women and 150 men, led by the new world record holder Patrick Makau, who clocked 2 hours 3 minutes 38 seconds on Sunday at the Berlin Marathon, have attained the marathon qualifying mark.

But with only three places in each category up for grabs, the Kenyan selectors conceded they will be spoilt for choice when the final team is named next April.

“It will be a stiff competition to pick the final squad,” Athletics Kenya secretary David Okeyo told AFP.

“We will have to take into account their ranking, performance and consistency to get the best.

“We are however encouraged by the preparations of our athletes, and hopefully Kenya will be able to win both the men’s and women’s titles in London,” Okeyo added.

He said the country’s chances of taking both titles were high, despite the death of Olympic men’s champion Samuel Wanjiru, who fell from the balcony of his Nyahururu home earlier this year.


AFP
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