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Eliud Kipchoge, Alexander Mutiso, Hellen Obiri and Peres Jepchirchir appear assured an Olympic slot but who will join them as Kenya names its final marathon team?
Athletics Kenya will finally reveal the final marathon line-up to the Paris Olympics on Wednesday but it appears most of those who will make the squad are already known.
Kenya whittled down their provisional squad of 20 (10 men and as many women) named in December to 11 (six women and five men) in April but only three from either side can make the team to Paris and there will be two who will be on standby.
Former world champion Ruth Chepngetich, ex-world record holder Brigid Kosgei, two-time Boston Marathon winner Hellen Obiri, former Tokyo Marathon champion Rosemary Wanjiru, defending champion Peres Jepchirchir and Sharon Lokedi made the women’s team of six.
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Meanwhile, two-time champion Eliud Kipchoge, Tokyo Marathon winner Benson Kipruto, newly-crowned London Marathon champion Alexander Mutiso, Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich and Timothy Kiplagat were the five men selected.
However, following what was witnessed in Boston and London in April, it appears Obiri, who tactically outwitted Lokedi to defend her title in Boston, and Jepchirchir, who floored her opponents to win the London Marathon title in a new women's-only world record, are a shoo-in for the women’s team.
That leaves Lokedi, Chepngetich, Kosgei and Wanjiru to fight it out for the remaining slot. Lokedi appears favourite to nail the spot given how she run Obiri close in Boston while Wanjiru also has a strong case after her second place in Tokyo.
Kosgei and Chepngetich look likely to miss out after finishing fifth and ninth respectively in London although the panel of selectors might look at other factors.
The men’s team appears already settled given Kipruto claimed the Tokyo Marathon bragging rights in a race where Kiplagat and Kipkemoi finished second and third respectively, while Kipchoge could only manage 10th place.
Kipruto will be joined on the plane by Mutiso, who ran a tactical race to win in London, his first major marathon victory, after third and second place in Valencia in 2022 and 2023 respectively.
Mutiso was a late entrant into the team, having missed out on the provisional squad, but following the death of Kelvin Kiptum, he justified his inclusion with the win in London.
While Kipchoge did not have a good outing in Tokyo, his status and the fact that he is the two-time winner is likely to see him edge ahead of Kiplagat and Kipkemoi as Kenya seeks to give him an opportunity to write history by possibly becoming the first marathoner to win three straight Olympic gold medals.
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