Kenya Selects Lel, Wanjiru… Cheruiyot?

Posted April 24, 2008 at 07:14 PM by Jimmie R. Markham

Section: Beijing 2008, Beijing News, Events, Track & Field, Featured Writers, Jimmie Markham, Special Features, SoundOFF

Okay, Athetics Kenya, let’s select that Dream Team for the Olympic Marathon this summer in Beijing, China, the team that can finally break that gold-medal goose-egg statistic and divert the world’s attention away from our horrible political situation back home. With Haile Gebrselassie out of the way, we could actually sweep the medals if we choose wisely. How cool would that be, to have 3 Kenyans on the podium? What’s that you say? Athletics Kenya doesn’t choose wisely? Oh, sorry, I forgot.

Anyway, who do we want… Let’s see, there’s Martin Lel with a 2:05:15, that’s an obvious 1st choice. He’s the fourth fastest marathoner of all time. Then there’s Samuel Kamau Wanjiru, who’s run a 2:05:24, the fifth fastest of all time. That’s another good one.

Who should be third?  When WIlliam Kipsang ran his 2:05:49 at Rotterdam, he became the eighth-fastest marathoner off all time. Maybe we should select him. No, he should be the alternate? I’m not too sure, but okay. There’s always Emmanuel Mutai, who beat Ryan Hall in London with his 2:06:15, making him the 13th fastest marathoner who ever lived. Too fast for you? Okay, how about Moses Kimeli Arusei with his sub 2:07 at Paris? No? Then there’s Daniel Rono, Isaac Wanjohi Macharia, Hosea Kiprop Rotich, Sammy Korir, Charles Kamathi, Jason Mbote and Edwin Komen. You don’t want any of them? You want, Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, only the 13th fastest Kenyan in 2008 on the team? Okay, that sounds logical. He did win the Boston Marathon this year in a race which only 4 men ran under a 5:00 per-mile pace and he beat them by almost a minute and a half. That’ll really throw off the competition! Besides, we don’t want to hog all of the medals! While we’re at it, let’s make Luke Kibet, only the 66th fastest Kenyan in the marathon this year, the 2nd alternate! Maybe next time, we can select Elias Kipkosgei Chebet who ran only a 2:17:57. That’ll really leave the opposition scratching their heads!

Source: [IAAF]