Korir to undergo scans to reveal length of injury

Kenya's Emmanuel Kipkurui Korir (centre) leads Poland's Michal Rozmys (right) and Brazil's Thiago Andrè in the heats of the men's 800m at the 2017 IAAF World Championships at the London Stadium in London on August 5, 2017. PHOTO | ADRIAN DENNIS | AFP

What you need to know:

  • The national trials winner, a freshman at the University of Texas at El Paso, ran a world leading time of one minute, 43.0 seconds at last month’s Monaco Diamond League meeting.
  • It was an improvement on the earlier lead by London 2012 Olympics silver medallist, Nijel Amos of Botswana of 1:43.18 ran few days earlier in the London leg of the circuit.

IN LONDON

Kenya’s top hope in the 800 metres, Emmanuel Korir, will undergo scans and other medical tests to ascertain the extent of the injury that knocked him out in the semi-finals on Sunday night.

The national trials winner, a freshman at the University of Texas at El Paso, ran a world leading time of one minute, 43.0 seconds at last month’s Monaco Diamond League meeting.

It was an improvement on the earlier lead by London 2012 Olympics silver medallist, Nijel Amos of Botswana of 1:43.18 ran few days earlier in the London leg of the circuit.

But the biggest shocker came in the second semi-final on Sunday when Korir, who had not lost any race at any distance, the heats included, this season, failed to make to the final.

Korir looked on course to cruise to the final, tracking the de facto pacemaker Brandon McBride from Canada right from the bell.

McBride kept his form passing 200m at 24.51 and 400m at 50.83 to win in 1:45.53 as Korir’s legs crumbled in the last 80 metres as he wound up fourth, bidding the event goodbye after being overhauled first by Kyle Langford and then by Marcin Lewandowski.

Korir’s racing season began in earnest in January when he set a world indoor 600m best of 1:14.91 and the effects of such a demanding schedule might have caught up with him tonight. Out to emulate his coach Paul Ereng, the 1988 Olympics 800m champion, Korir won his first heat in 1:47.08 but the 22-year-old was stretched off form the changing room as he couldn’t walk.

“I just felt pain on my lower back and I just couldn’t move further,” said Korir. “I had never experienced that before.”

Team Kenya doctors, led by Victor Bargoria and physiotherapist Jacinta Shiraku, have done everything to have Korir back on his feet.

“It looked well until the last 200m when the pain started and I just couldn’t move the way I wanted. My lower back was numb,” said Korir, who walked into the team’s hotel after the semi-final on crutches.

Bargoria and Shiraku said even though Korir is able to walk well, further tests and possible scan will be needed to ascertain the cause of the problem.

“The problem is coming from the lower back and only a scan can reveal,” said Shiraku.