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Paris Olympic marathons: Athletics Kenya selectors spoilt for choice
Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge celebrates after winning the men's marathon final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Sapporo on August 8, 2021.
What you need to know:
- AK director of competition and Team Kenya selection Paul Mutwii said vital lessons were learnt from Budapest, adding that they will henceforth be naming the team early
- There will be no room for mistakes in selection for the Paris Olympics considering that Kenya has been unstoppable, winning back-to-back Olympic titles in 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo
- Defending champions Eliud Kipchoge, who desires to make history in Paris and Peres Jepchirchir are favourites and should top the panel of selections list even
For the umpteenth time, Kenyan athletes dominated the World Marathon Majors with a total of seven victories out of 12 races.
Hellen Obiri won in Boston and New York while Rosemary Wanjiru emerged victorious in Tokyo to bring Kenya’s wins to three in the women’s category. The new marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum claimed a double in London and Chicago to add to Eliud Kipchoge’s victory in Berlin and Evans Chebet’s success in Boston.
This impressive performance by Kenyan athletes in this season’s World Marathon Majors pales in comparison to the dismal display by the marathon team at the World Championships held in Budapest, Hungary.
Kenya's Kelvin Kiptum celebrates winning the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon in Chicago, Illinois, in a world record time of two hours and 35 seconds on October 8, 2023.
Both the men and women marathon teams failed to medal in Budapest. With the Paris 2024 Olympic Games barely eight months away, it remains to be seen who will don the national team colours as Kenya seeks to defend her marathon titles from the previous edition held in Tokyo in 2021.
Eliud Kipchoge successfully defended his title in Tokyo and will be eyeing a hat-trick in Paris while in the women’s race Peres Jepchirchir hopes for a double.
Budapest pain
Kenya’s marathon teams’ performance at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary in August this year left a lot to be desired.
For the first time since 2009, Kenyan women failed to secure a medal when Rosemary Wanjiru and Selly Chepyego Kaptich finished sixth and seventh respectively.
It's Kenyan archrivals Ethiopia, who ruled the roost with Amane Beriso guiding compatriot Gotytom Gebreslase, who had won the world title the previous year in Oregon, United States America, to a 1-2 finish.
From left: Kenya's Marathon team for the World Athletics Championships Titus Kipruto, Margaret Wangare, Michael Githae, Selly Chepyego, Bethwel Chumba, Rosemary Wanjiru, Joshua Belet, Shyline Jepkorir, Timothy Rono and Betty Chepkwony, during their unveiling at a function held at Kenmosa Village in Eldoret town, Uasin Gishu County on June 14, 2023.
Then little-known Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi from Morocco would rub more salt to Kenya's injuries, sealing the last podium place in Budapest.
Such a scenario had been played last in 2009 Berlin when the country missed a medal as Julia Mumbi Muraga and Irene Limika settled 11th and 20th with Risper Jemeli Kimaiyo finishing a distant 36th.
Kenya would return to the 2011 Daegu World championships with vengeance, to sweep all the podium places with Edna Kiplagat, Priscah Jeptoo and Sharon Cherop sharing the medals in that order before Kiplagat made history as the first woman to ever defend her title with victory in 2013 Moscow.
Helah Kiprop and Kiplagat would settle for silver medals at 2015 Beijing and 2017 London respectively where Ethiopian Mare Dibaba and Kenyan-born Rose Chelimo of Bahrain triumphed.
It was a great sigh of relief when Ruth Chepng’etich helped Kenya recapture the world title at 2019 Doha, relegating Chelimo to silver position. But come 2022 Oregon, stomach gremlins saw Chepng’etich fail to finish the race.
It's Judith Korir who saved the country some blushes with silver as Gotytom Gebreslase reigned supreme.
Late withdrawals
Despite their dominance in World Marathon Majors, Kenyan men have miserably failed to win a medal in the two world championships in Oregon and Budapest after Geffrey Kirui claimed victory in 2017 London as Amos Kipruto settled for silver at 2019 Doha.
Three-time world half marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor was the best finisher in Oregon in fifth place as Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola and Mosinet Geremew claimed a 1-2 finish.
Unfamiliar faces won in Budapest with Uganda’s Victor Kiplangat winning the title adding to the Commonwealth Games title he claimed last year.
Kenya's Kelvin Kiptum runs to the line to win the men's race at the finish of the 2023 London Marathon in central London on April 23, 2023.
Team Kenya's selection for Budapest 2023 was marred by withdrawals with top athletes staying away, forcing Athletics Kenya to make changes to the team a month to the world event.
London Marathon champion Kelvin Kiptum, who has since gone on to break the marathon world record and the women’s marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei withdrew alongside three-time world half marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor and Sheila Chepkirui, who finished fourth at the London Marathon.
Will the Budapest debacle rear its ugly head ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games selection?
Quite unlikely. But why so?
Paris 2024 selection headache
Most athletes are easily likely to give the World Championships in marathon a wide berth owing to lucrative deals and appearance fees signed on their behalf by their managers, agents or management.
Most top athletes negotiate for more in terms of appearance fee than the prize money on offer.
Race organisers have opted to reduce prize money for most World Marathon Majors like London with analysts blaming it on the high cases of doping in the country.
Olympics Games are every athlete's dream and that is why every athlete will fight to earn selection by winning top races. Unlike marathoners, track athletes value more selection to Team Kenya for the World Championships since selection itself enables them to negotiate for good deals and bonuses.
AK director of competition and Team Kenya selection Paul Mutwii said vital lessons were learnt from Budapest, adding that they will henceforth be naming the team early.
“Most athletes had already committed to major races when we approached them this year. That is why many responded saying they won’t be available,” said Mutwii, adding that those who had accepted the call-up also withdrew at the last minute.
“There is nothing we could have done also considering the doping restrictions we are facing," explained Mutwii, adding that for the 2024 Paris Olympics, they would name the team before the end of November.
Just who will be selected in Kenya's marathon team?
As Mutwii and the panel of selectors sieve through the elite list with their cards close to their chest, anxiety is slowly building up across the board especially upon the completion of New York City Marathon last Sunday.
Kipchoge-Kiptum partnership
There will be no room for mistakes in selection for the Paris Olympics considering that Kenya has been unstoppable, winning back-to-back Olympic titles in 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo.
Defending champions Eliud Kipchoge, who desires to make history in Paris and Peres Jepchirchir are favourites and should top the panel of selections list even.
Women's team selection will be a close call owing to good performances this year.
Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge smiles after crossing the finish line to win the men's race of the Berlin Marathon on September 24, 2023 in Berlin, Germany.
The new sheriff in town, Kelvin Kiptum, who won both the London Marathon and Chicago Marathon in course record and world record time respectively, should be the next outright pick.
The Boston Marathon champion Evans Chebet should seal the last place in the men’s team with the newly crowned Frankfurt champion Brimin Kipkorir Misoi and Benson Kipruto taking up reserve positions.
Despite finishing sixth in Boston in 2:09:23 in April, the 39-year-old Kipchoge still remains one of the favourites for the Olympic title especially after he bounced back to win in Berlin in 2:02:42 on September 24, the fifth fastest time ever over the distance. A total of 17 career marathon victories from 20, which include two Olympic titles and two world records explain why he is the outright favourite.
Kiptum’s brief marathon career record in less than one year is just extraordinary. He ran the third fastest time ever in a marathon, winning in his debut in Valencia in 2:01:53 in December 2022, broke Kipchoge’s course record in London in April in 2:01:25 before downing the world record in a sublime 2:00:35 in Chicago in October.
On-form Obiri
Time is now ripe for the 34-year-old Chebet, who has personal best 2:03:00, to don the national colours for the first time, having successfully defended his Boston Marathon title in April. An injury might have seen Chebet fail to defend his New York City marathon title on November 5, but his experience will be vital.
Benson Kipruto, 32, finished second in Chicago, with a personal best time of 2:04:02, three minutes behind Kiptum who broke the Marathon world record. Kipruto finished third at both the 2022 and 2023 Boston Marathon clocking 2:07:27 and 2:06:06 respectively.
Brimin Kipruto’s rise has been steady as he successfully defended his Frankfurt Marathon in personal best 2:04:53 in October after winning the Uhuru Nairobi Classic Marathon last year and Standard Chartered Nairobi Marathon in 2019.
Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir crosses the finish line to win the women's marathon final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Sapporo on August 7, 2021.
Jepchirchir, Boston and New York City Marathon champion Hellen Obiri and the Tokyo Marathon champion Rosemary Wanjiru should form a lethal partnership in Paris with 2019 world marathon champion Ruth Chepng’etich and Sheila Chepkirui on standby as reserves.
Jepchirchir, who is fresh from sealing a hat-trick of world half marathon titles in Riga, Latvia, in October, missed the New York City Marathon after a last-minute injury withdrawal but remains favourite, having made a return from injury to finish third in London in April.
With three appearances in the marathon, Obiri has now won two World Marathon Major races this year. After finishing sixth in New York last year, Obiri ran in the Boston Marathon against the richest elite women’s field ever assembled this year. She won with a personal best time of 2:21:38 before returning to New York for her second win in 2:27:23.
Kenya's Hellen Obiri celebrates winning the 52nd Edition of the New York City Marathon on November 5, 2023.
With bigwigs giving the country a wide berth in Budapest, Wanjiru, who took up the challenge to finish sixth, deserves another chance, having won the Tokyo Marathon in personal best 2:16:28. She finished second in Berlin last year in 2:18:00.
It has been a good year for Chepkirui after finishing fourth in London in 2:18:51 and second in Berlin in 2:17:49 as Chepng'etich defended her Nagoya Marathon title in 2:18:08 before cracking her second career best of 2:15:37 with a second place finish in Chicago.
Nation Sport marathon team
Men
Eliud Kipchoge, Kelvin Kiptum, Evans Chebet. Reserves: Benson Kipruto, Brimin Misoi Kipruto.
Women
Peres Jepchirchir, Hellen Obiri, Rosemary Wanjiru. Reserves: Ruth Chepng'etich, Sheila Chepkirui.
