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NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS

The Nairobian

London Games journey begins at Nyayo Stadium

Weird News

By The Standard Sports | Apr 17, 2012

By James Waindi

The journey to the 2012 London Olympics starts Tuesday (Tuesday April 17) with the 10, 000m mini trials at the Nyayo Stadium to select a team for the main trials in Eugene, Oregon, USA on June 2, where the Kenyan team to the Olympics will be picked.

Out of the 31 athletes selected to compete in the mini-trials, only the best 15 will be selected to compete at the main trials where the best three of the 15 will be identified to carry the country’s flag at the Olympics to try to break the jinx that has dodged local 10,000m runners for the last 44 yers.

The last time a Kenyan won the 10,0000m Olympic Gold was in 1968 when Naftali Temu struck gold in Mexico.

Athletics Kenya (AK) believes this system is the best to get the best Kenyan runners over the distance and AK chairman Isaiah Kiplagat is confident they will this time pick a winning side to end the country’s drought over the distance.

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Cut-throat competition is expected Tuesday as the 31 runners will each be eager to make it to the team to Oregon. It will be a single race where the first 15 across the line will make it to the Oregon team.

With a star-studded team of athletes who have all run better than 27:25, fans will be in for a great treat in the event starts at 3pm.

Make amends

Former national champion Wilson Kiprop who failed to go to the World Championships in Daegu last year due to a last minute injury despite having qualified, will be among the favourites as he seeks to makeamends for missing the World Championships. He will be competing against 2009 World 10,000m bronze medallist Moses Masai, Leonard Komon, Eliud Kipchoge and Irungu Mathathi among others.

Hit qualifying marks

According to Athletics Kenya’s Public Relations Officer Peter Angwenyi, there will be curtain raising events to give athletes a chance to qualify for the Africa Championships in Benin.

There will be Javelin men, where All Africa Games’ gold medalist Julius Yego is expected compete against Fred Kogo and Peter Sururu as they aim to hit the qualifying marks. Long jump will also be competed in as well as 100m, 200m and 400m for both men and women.

In the men 400m race, Commonwealth champion Mark Mutai will be facing Vincent Koskei Kiplagat, Boniface Mweresa, Julius Rotich and Newton Rotich, while the 400m women race will have Grace Kidake, Joyce Zakari and Elizabeth Muthoka among others.

National champion Ebrahim Muya compete Mike Mukamba, Boniface Kagai, Lewis Kituri and Naftali Mureithi in the men 200m.