Quest for Olympics 10,000m gold sees Kenya change tact

By James Waindi

Olympic bronze medallist Micah Kogo will have to seek an alternative path to the London Olympics after he was omitted from the Kenya team to the Eugene, Oregon trials set for June 2.

This is despite him finishing sixth in a race won by Former World 10, 000m bronze medallist Moses Masai Tuesday at the Nyayo National Stadium. Athletics Kenya picked the top 13 athletes after two dropped out of the 17 that had started.

Masai braved stiff challenge from star-studded field to win the mini-trial, which was sponsored by the National Bank of Kenya. Now he has the small task of making the final three for the Kenya team in Eugene, Oregon in the USA on June 2.

Athletics Kenya (AK) had initially named a team of 31 athletes who had run less than 27:45 to feature in the mini-trials, but only 17 runners turned up for the race that was low keyed.

Masai, who is also a former 10,000m Africa Champion, clocked 28:10.3, beating former World 5,000m champion Eliud Kipchoge and World Youth Championships silver medallist Lucas Rotich in a sprint finish.

Kipchoge was second in a time of 28:11.0, while Rotich finished third in a time of 28:12.0 ahead of 36-year-old Mark Kiptoo, who won the 5,000m gold medal at last year’s World military Games in Brazil 28:17.4.

Head coach Julius Kirwa said he was disappointed that a number of elite athletes absconded the mini trials in favour of foreign marathons abroad, but noted that they would work with the available athletes.

"The athletes who missed these mini trials are out of the 10,000m team for Olympics and can only fight for the Africa Championships slots during the national trials. We will be going to camp in Eldoret with the 13 runners who will go to Eugene, Oregon, where we will pick the best three," said Kirwa.

Among the athletes who missed the mini trials included former World Cross Country Championships silver medallist Leonard Komon (injury) and Japan based Martin Irungu Mathathi.

"Mike Kogo and Daniel Salel finished sixth and 11th respectively but they do not make the team because they have not attained the Olympics qualifying times. So we have replaced them with Titus Mbishei and Dennis Masai," said Kirwa.

Out of the 17 athletes that started the race, only 15 finished with two falling out after 16 laps.

The duo was Kiprono Menjo and Philemon Yator.

The race started with a fast pace as they ran laps of around 69 seconds and were locked together for the first 15 laps with the leadership changing hands at intervals between former national champion Wilson Kiprop, Eliud Kipchoge, Moses Masai and Paul Tanui.

"I am happy with my performance today and I hope to make it to the Olympics team. I have trained well and believe that I am in a better form than in 2009 when I won bronze at the world championships. I would, however, like to run in Doha before I go to USA," said Masai.

Kenya Team — Moses Masai, Eliud Kipchoge, Lucas Rotich, Mark Kiptoo, Josephat Bett, Mark Kigen, Geoffrey Kirui, Titus Mbishei and Dennis Masai.