No replacements in championship team, says coach David Kitum

What you need to know:

  • Head coach David Kitum said although the request by the athletes to be excluded from the games came late, the runners will not be penalised as Kenya still has strong representation in various categories.
  • Kenya collected 25 medals; 7 gold, 8 silver and 10 bronze medals to finish third behind South Africa (10-5-4) and Nigeria (8-9-7) in Marrakech.

There will be no replacement for five athletes who have been dropped from Team Kenya that leaves on Monday for the Africa Athletics Championships set for June 21-26 in Durban.

Kenneth Kipkemoi (10,000 metres), Nicholas Kiplagat (400m), Sheila Chelagat (5,000m), Lydia Rotich (3,000m steeplechase) and Sandra Chebet (1,500m) opted out of the continental event so as to focus on the national trials for Rio Olympics which will be held from June 30-July 1.

Head coach David Kitum said although the request by the athletes to be excluded from the games came late, the runners will not be penalised as Kenya still has strong representation in various categories.

Kipkemoi, who is the 2012 Africa 10,000m champion,  Rotich (2010 Africa 3,000m steeplechase bronze medalist) and Kiplagat won their respective events at the National Championships that also doubled up as Africa Championships trials.

Chebet, the World Youth 2,000m steeplechase silver medallist and Chelagat finished third in their 1,500m and 5,000m races respectively at the nationals.

“We have no worries. The rest of the team will perform well,” Kitum said at the team’s camp yesterday at Safaricom Stadium, Kasarani.

Wilfred Kimitei and Stephen Arita will now do battle in 10,000m, Jonathan Kitilit and Boaz Kiprugut in 800m while Judy Kiyeng and Sela Jepleting line up in 1,500m. Africa Cross country silver medallist Sheila Chepkirui and African Games 5,000m champion Margaret Chelimo will field in 5,000m.

Kitum said national 100m and 200m champion Mike Mokamba, African Games 4000m silver medallist Boniface Mweresa and Africa 400m hurdles bronze medallist Boniface Mucheru who have been nursing hamstring injuries will have recovered before the championship.

Mokamba pulled his muscle in the 100m final that he won during the National Championships in May while Mweresa incurred similar injury during the Kenya Defence Forces Championships in April. Mucheru got injured during the Athletics Kenya Track and Field Meet in Eldoret.  

The team of 55 athletes is due to leave the country on Monday for the week-long championship where they hope to improve on their medals tally from the 2014 Championships in Marrakech.

Kenya collected 25 medals; 7 gold, 8 silver and 10 bronze medals to finish third behind South Africa (10-5-4) and Nigeria (8-9-7) in Marrakech.