Kenya runners angered by cut in numbers
Wednesday, 20 June 2001 11:24Kenya's top athletes took a break from preparing for this week's national trials to criticise a decision to reduce by about a third the size of the country's team for the world championships. Kenya Amateur Athletic Association (KAAA) chairman Isaiah Kiplagat said that a total of 20 athletes would be taken to Edmonton in August. Kenya normally sends about 35 athletes to such events.
"We are going for quality rather than quantity. We can't afford a large team that brings home only two gold medals. We want to do it the Ethiopia way," Kiplagat said. Kiplagat also announced that there would be no wild card entries to the team and said athletes would have to fight it out at the trials, which start on Thursday.
That decision was a blow to world 3,000 metre steeplechase champion Christopher Kosgei, who had announced that he would skip the trials due to injury but hoped the KAAA would include him in the team as a wild card.
Former world steeplechase champion and Olympic games silver medallist Wilson Boit Kipketer said reducing the size of the team would hit its morale.
"This decision will bring confusion and we fear selection could be manipulated by officials to settle old scores," Kipketer said.
Former world 5,000 metre champion and reigning world 3,000 metre record holder Daniel Komen said consideration should be given to the consistency of the athletes. "A balanced squad would ensure that Kenya performs to satisfaction and will spread out medal chances," Komen told Reuters.
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
