Kenyan Olympic team - What now?

1. Kipsang

2. Mosop

3. G. Mutai

Reserve: Makau

Kipsang is the easy choice.

Mosop has been quite consistent with good performances in Boston, Chicago and on a windy day in Rotterdam.

G. Mutai New York proved he could demolish a strong field in a championship style race, whereas Makau proved he could run a fast time trial in Berlin. We all know that world record holders can not always contend in championship style races (Gebrselaisse)

george oscar bluth wrote:

Kipsang's selection is likely a done deal after today.

I don't think you pick 2 guys who just DNF'd for the rest of your team. Maybe 1. And if I had to pick the WR holder or the Boston/NYC record holder, I'd easily pick the latter.

So who do you pick for the last spot? Has to be Mosop or Kirui, which is a tough decision for me. I would lean towards Kirui for a team with diverse strengths. You'd have a guy who's shown he is a solid time trialist and major marathon runner, a guy who's shown he can beat great fields in a major marathon, and a guy who is more of a championship race runner.

Kipsang/G Mutai/Kirui

I think the Olympic Marathon will be wicked fast with ~7 sub 2:05 guys, I doubt that race will be won by a great tactical runner. This race will be won by a fast guy. Therefore I don't think Kirui has a chance.

I agree with your choice: Kipsang/G Mutai/Kirui. The first two will carry the day if the weather will be great for marathons. Abel Kirui has proven in Berlin 2009 and Daegu 2011 that he can deliver where the weather is hot. So either Way Kenya gets to win the big prize. Note that the most important thing for Kenya is to win the gold. The silver and the bronze would be a bonus.

Fred Savage wrote:

Kipsang, Geoffrey Mutai and Kirui.

Kipsang because he is the best so far this year.

Mutai because he was the best last year.

Kirui because he is the two time defending world champion.

That's actually as fair a solution as anyone's going to come up with.

That being said, I'm really glad it's not my decision!!

Nutella1 wrote:

I think Mosop ran better this week, but my gut tells me there's something wrong with leaving the two time defending world champion off the team. In the end though I have to eliminate Kirui and take Mosop.

Why would you pick a runner that has proven that he can be beaten by two Ethiopians?[/quote]

Kirui lost to two Moroccans

Kipsang, G Moots, Mosop

Amazing that they didn't just have them race against each other and pick the top three in that race.

Gotta love the US system.

So let's pretend this past week was a trials to see who is the fittest right now.

Obviously Kipsang is the top and makes the team.

G Mutai and Makau DNF so they are out.

Kirui has a leg up on E Mutai by barely beating him head to head.

So it's a matter of determining if Mosop's Rotterdam performance is better than Kirui in London.

No objective way of comparing two separate races.

Mosop appeared to have a better performance than Kirui but to me he loses points by choosing a lesser marathon.

So if you have to choose from the pre-selected six I would say it would be:

Kipsang, Mosop and Kirui with a good argument for E Mutai over Mosop.

But I don't see why anyone should be eliminated just because they were not stunning in 2011. They just need to be great in 2012.

All Americans have a shot to make this year's Oly team why not all Kenyans?

That brings Lel and Korrir into the picture.

Anyone that has the Olympic A standard have a shot to compete in the Olympics.

And that shot should mean racing to get there.

It's not just that Mosop lost to two Ethiopians. It's that he's only won one marathon. The guy is more suited to finishing second place (or worse). Even his win in Chicago he was heading backwards near the end and nearly blew a big lead. I guess someone has to win the silver. In a close race I'd rather have Lel on my team based on the kick he showed today (and throughout his career).

E Mutai and Makau are out injured or sick. Bad luck for them. Either one could break the world record in Berlin this year.

So my picks are:

Kipsang - obvious after today. Could someone please stand one mile from the finish of his marathons and tell him when he is close to a record?

Mutai - if he is physically ok then you have to pick him. He ran as fast in New York as Mosop ran in Rotterdam.

Kirui - He gave up two big paychecks to bring home gold medals. Politics matter and he will be selected because he paid his dues. He suffered today but he's not in bad bad form.

Alt - Mosop

JUNIOR wrote:

I agree with your choice: Kipsang/G Mutai/Kirui. The first two will carry the day if the weather will be great for marathons. Abel Kirui has proven in Berlin 2009 and Daegu 2011 that he can deliver where the weather is hot. So either Way Kenya gets to win the big prize. Note that the most important thing for Kenya is to win the gold. The silver and the bronze would be a bonus.

I totally concur!

If I were AK, and I wish I were,

I'd pick this team next week as well as these women;

Kipsang, Kirui, G. Mutai

Keitany, E. Kiplagat and F. Kiplagat.

Kenya has a problem of too many great runners (if thaat is a problem in the first place) and thus, some good guys will be left out and probably get angry.

Let's just do it and move on.

i hope mosop doesn't go to london olympics 2012 in london. he doesn't deserve go after his slow races 2:05 in rotterdam last week.

my pridiction is kirui kipsang emmanuel mutai. mutai 2:04:40 course record in london 2011 which not even kipsang could brake this year. i pridict mosop is left off for lying about being able to break the world record.

now you know wrote:

my pridiction is kirui kipsang emmanuel mutai. mutai 2:04:40 course record in london 2011 which not even kipsang could brake this year. i pridict mosop is left off for lying about being able to break the world record.

I predict that no-one will care about your post. Go away Kevin.

Well first they should ask them who really cares about only going to the Olympics and who wouldn't mind if they didn't go. For example Mosop was like "i don't care if I go to the Olympics or not, if I do great, if not I'll just go for the world record in Berlin" while Kirui has been literally doing everything he possibly can to ensure he gets a spot on the team. He gave up chasing money by racing fall marathons to win the WC in 2009 and 2011 and has been forced to work hard to do London after being the first one initially promised a spot on the Olympic team before AK changed their minds and did the 6 person thing. Kirui probably wouldn't have gone with the surge and then blown up if he wasn't desperately trying to get an Olympic spot after losing it.

So while I would consider Mosop a lock to get the spot based on his performances (3 consistent marathons of 2:03:06 (under CR), 2:05:37 CR, 2:05:01 at Rotterdam + a 30K world record) while not all the other runners performed as consistently in their last 3 marathons, they should disregard him because he doesn't mind as much if he's not on the Olympic team whereas Kirui has been putting in everything for it.

The Waterboy wrote:

2:05:01 at Rotterdam + a 30K world record)

mosop ran 2:05:03 at rotterdam and his 30k world record was on the track so he was cheating

if mosop wants world recerd so bad he should run marathon on track like he cheated with his 30k world record.

now you know wrote:

if mosop wants world recerd so bad he should run marathon on track like he cheated with his 30k world record.

He has the 30k world record on the track...The roadrace world record is considered completely different from the track world record, kind of like how indoor and outdoor track records are separate. He did not cheat with his 30k world record because it is the track world record and was run on a track.

Runner154 wrote:

He has the 30k world record on the track...The roadrace world record is considered completely different from the track world record, kind of like how indoor and outdoor track records are separate. He did not cheat with his 30k world record because it is the track world record and was run on a track.

but 30k track and 30k road are much less separated unlike 10k world recerd and 10k track record exemple google 30k world record you will see mostly mosop name. but evryone knows 10ktrack and road are seperet.

mosop doesn't deserve to run marathon. he lied and said he could run 2:02 and failed horribly. i hope AK suspends him until next olympics.

Love you americans with your carefully argued logic for team selections. This is Athletics Kenya and all that matters is kitu kidogo, favours and favourites. You dont think Kiplagat and his AK cronies drive mercedes on his salary do you ?

kipsangs rabbit wrote:

Love you americans with your carefully argued logic for team selections. This is Athletics Kenya and all that matters is kitu kidogo, favours and favourites. You dont think Kiplagat and his AK cronies drive mercedes on his salary do you ?

Exactly! I think we need to know (1) who is agent for each of the six? (2) does hermens or rosa or dimadonna pay more support, (3) who is shoe sponsor for each of six? These could be important considerations?