Kenya's Marathon Squad first cut

both Matai's

P.Makau

A.Kirui

M.Mosop

W.Kipsang

E. Kiplagat

M. Katany

F. Kiplagat

P. Jeptoo

S. Cherop

L. Cheromei

2 medals plus a top 5 from each gender seems possible

and little doubt the 6 not picked could put up the same kind of results

I think just as big is the news that the Kenyan Olympic trials for 5000 and 10000 will be in May.

At the bottom of the article is says select after the Kenyan XC champs they will select athletes for a special 5k/10k trial in May:

“A separate Trial will be held for them in May to select the final squad to give them adequate time to prepare for the Olympics since we do not want to miss the opportunity to win this medals that we feel we should be winning,” the chairman stated.

This seems really sensible from Athletics Kenya. I think the most obvious choice for the women's team is Keitany and both Kiplagats, but picking the men's team is going to be tough. The fact that they have to turn away at least one 2:03 runner just blows my mind. I just hope that whoever they pick is able to recover quickly enough from spring racing to be able to have top level fitness again for London so that everyone can really push each other to incredible times at the Olympics.

How may USA men women and have the Olympic A?

2:17 and 2:37 right?

deep is not desctiptive enough wrote:

How may USA men women and have the Olympic A?

2:17 and 2:37 right?

2:15 for men.

How can they possibly choose from this list?

Here's my choices...what are yours

1. Geoffrey Mutai- the obvious choice

2. Patrick Makau- Obligated to bring the recent WR Holder along (even if he is not in the top 3 for Kenya)

3. Moses Mosop- 2:03:06 at Boston, Chicago Course record 2:05:37

4. Emanuel Mutai- 2:04:40 London Record HOW on Earth can the London Marathon Course Record Holder not make it to the Olympics in London????

5. Abel Kirui- Tested Champ- Kind of like the Meb Keflezghi of Kenya right now (people forget about his champion past)

6. Wilson Kipsang- 2:03:42 - time to transfer to another country

Man, isn't that the truth!But say he were to come to the US. Would we welcome him with open arms?

The Rocket. wrote:

6. Wilson Kipsang- 2:03:42 - time to transfer to another country

then Ashland,Framingham&Natic wrote:150 men and 50 women

Interesting number in the light of discussions "how competitive is womens marathoning" and "how big are the chances for women in their national societies".

One third is not much! But 50 is a fair amount!

The Rocket. wrote:

How can they possibly choose from this list?

Here's my choices...what are yours

1. Geoffrey Mutai- the obvious choice

2. Patrick Makau- Obligated to bring the recent WR Holder along (even if he is not in the top 3 for Kenya)

3. Moses Mosop- 2:03:06 at Boston, Chicago Course record 2:05:37

4. Emanuel Mutai- 2:04:40 London Record HOW on Earth can the London Marathon Course Record Holder not make it to the Olympics in London????

5. Abel Kirui- Tested Champ- Kind of like the Meb Keflezghi of Kenya right now (people forget about his champion past)

6. Wilson Kipsang- 2:03:42 - time to transfer to another country

I thought AK said, the reigning world champ will get a spot at the Olympics in any case?

So is every else definitely out?

What if say Lucy Kabuu runs 2:20 in Dubai?

For the world championships last year they had this provisional list of 20 athletes but the eventual squad included some names that were not on that list...

This is not news. They either post final lists of 3+1 (like they have done in the past, but they've apparently changed their mind again), or they stay quiet. It is a tough choice, but yet another "provisional list of six" is worthless.

I would take this with a fairly good-sized grain of salt. This is at least the third proclamation AK has made about the team. First Kirui and Makau were definitely in. Then it was just Kirui. Now this. What happens when Mathathi runs something big in his debut this spring? Or when Ndambiri rocks it in London in April? They're not even going to consider them in addition to all of last year's big names? I doubt it quite seriously.

The Rocket. wrote:

How can they possibly choose from this list?

Here's my choices...what are yours

1. Geoffrey Mutai- the obvious choice

2. Patrick Makau- Obligated to bring the recent WR Holder along (even if he is not in the top 3 for Kenya)

Here is where my choice would differ. Having selected the two potentially fastest guys, you then back them up with the proven winner in championship marathons.

3. Abel Kirui

In the same way the women's choice would be:

1. Mary Keitany - the fastest of 2011.

2. Florence Kiplagat - not only the second fastest, but a championship winner in cross country and on the roads.

3. Edna Kiplagat - like Kirui a proven championship marathon winner, but also one that has run 2:20:46 in London, so one of the fastest.

To displace one of these three women, Lucy Kabuu (or anyone else) would probably need to run sub 2:20 - just another 2:20 wouldn't be enough. Even then you might go for the proven championship marathon winner, rather than someone that ran fast once.

The Rocket. wrote:

How can they possibly choose from this list?

Here's my choices...what are yours

1. Geoffrey Mutai- the obvious choice

2. Patrick Makau- Obligated to bring the recent WR Holder along (even if he is not in the top 3 for Kenya)

3. Moses Mosop- 2:03:06 at Boston, Chicago Course record 2:05:37

4. Emanuel Mutai- 2:04:40 London Record HOW on Earth can the London Marathon Course Record Holder not make it to the Olympics in London????

5. Abel Kirui- Tested Champ- Kind of like the Meb Keflezghi of Kenya right now (people forget about his champion past)

6. Wilson Kipsang- 2:03:42 - time to transfer to another country

Simply astounding. Odds on for a trifecta. Really, who's going to beat any of these guys?

Am I correct in assuming that the Kenyan Standard is different than the American?

Kenyans totally own marathons wrote:

The Rocket. wrote:

How can they possibly choose from this list?

Here's my choices...what are yours

1. Geoffrey Mutai- the obvious choice

2. Patrick Makau- Obligated to bring the recent WR Holder along (even if he is not in the top 3 for Kenya)

3. Moses Mosop- 2:03:06 at Boston, Chicago Course record 2:05:37

4. Emanuel Mutai- 2:04:40 London Record HOW on Earth can the London Marathon Course Record Holder not make it to the Olympics in London????

5. Abel Kirui- Tested Champ- Kind of like the Meb Keflezghi of Kenya right now (people forget about his champion past)

6. Wilson Kipsang- 2:03:42 - time to transfer to another country

Simply astounding. Odds on for a trifecta. Really, who's going to beat any of these guys?

Your best bet will probably be an Ethiopian. Geb Geb possibly?

That is such a tough choice for the Kenyan officials. If they don't go 1-2-3 someone is going to have legitimate reason to be upset.

Hall and Meb

Kenyans totally own marathons wrote:

The Rocket. wrote:

How can they possibly choose from this list?

Here's my choices...what are yours

1. Geoffrey Mutai- the obvious choice

2. Patrick Makau- Obligated to bring the recent WR Holder along (even if he is not in the top 3 for Kenya)

3. Moses Mosop- 2:03:06 at Boston, Chicago Course record 2:05:37

4. Emanuel Mutai- 2:04:40 London Record HOW on Earth can the London Marathon Course Record Holder not make it to the Olympics in London????

5. Abel Kirui- Tested Champ- Kind of like the Meb Keflezghi of Kenya right now (people forget about his champion past)

6. Wilson Kipsang- 2:03:42 - time to transfer to another country

Simply astounding. Odds on for a trifecta. Really, who's going to beat any of these guys?

Hall will beat at least one of them.