[PHOTO: COURTESY]

With focus now shifting to Daniel Wanjiru and Edna Kiplagat to lead the team of nine athletes in 2017 IAAF World Championships in London - in August, there will be more demanding questions than available answers as to why Eliud Kipchoge was not picked by Athletics Kenya (AK).

The squad includes Gideon Kipketer, Geoffrey Kirui, Helah Kiprop and Flomena Cheyech. Paul Lonyangata, Valentine Kipketer and Purity Rionoripo who were drafted as reserves.

The big question is - do the selected athletes have what it takes to earn glory in the forthcoming Championships in London?

Household name

Ednah Kiplagat is a household name, recently winning the Boston Marathon in 2:21.53. In March 2013, she leaped into victory and won Lisbon Half Marathon. The dominating Kiplagat later made history in 2013 when she surpassed her marathon heroine Catherine Ndereba by earning two world titles (Ndereba claimed world championship gold medals in 2003 and later bagged another one in 2007). Kirui is coming off a stunning victory in Boston where he posted 2:08.36 is also an exciting prospect.

Daniel Wanjiru is the reigning London Marathon champion having beaten Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele in April.

Wanjiru made his debut in marathon in 2014 when he finished seventh in 2:08:18. However, he made tremendous improvement when he set a new course record during the TCS Amsterdam Marathon to win in 2 hours, 5 minutes and 21 seconds last year before shrugging off a strong field in London.

Purity Rionoripo broke the course record at 2:20:55. Back in 2015, Lonyangata defeated the then defending champion Stephen Mokaka in the Shanghai International Marathon.

Helah Kiprop was little known despite winning the Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon in 2013.

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