London Marathon Champ Daniel Wanjiru CANNOT be 24 Years Old

His stated age according to his passport is 24 yrs. However as you indicate, he got to be at least 27. It happens. A few years ago just after high school and just like many others Wanjiru tried to qualify for World juniors and had to chop off his age a little. Unfortunately his development took quite longer or some other "juniors" were just better than him and thus did not make team Kenya juniors. Now Wanjiru is stuck with his new date of birth since it is in his passport. There are tens of them if not hundreds, their age is immaterial once they graduate to seniors.

WESTERN MOZUNGO wrote:

There are tens of them if not hundreds, their age is immaterial once they stop cheating as juniors.

FTFY

Perhaps age cheating is immaterial once competing in the senior or professional stage. However, the rampant age cheating that takes place in Africa in any sport where there is the chance to make untold wealth is an absolute. And..., because of that, the Africans that compete at world juniors or world youth championships are older than the age limitations that other nations follow. And..., they are stealing the glory and experience of athletes from other nations that are of proper age.

Age cheating has similar result outcomes as does doping when done at the younger ages.

Isn't IAAF discontinuing the world junior champs anyway? Soon nobody will worry or care about these things.

Styu wrote:

Isn't IAAF discontinuing the world junior champs anyway? Soon nobody will worry or care about these things.

Ok, maybe I was wrong. I guess they discontinued the U18 championships but as far as I can tell the U20 championships will still be held.

Styu wrote:

Isn't IAAF discontinuing the world junior champs anyway? Soon nobody will worry or care about these things.

Only World Youths (U18). World Juniors (U20) is here to stay.

WESTERN MOZUNGO wrote:

His stated age according to his passport is 24 yrs. However as you indicate, he got to be at least 27. It happens. A few years ago just after high school and just like many others Wanjiru tried to qualify for World juniors and had to chop off his age a little. Unfortunately his development took quite longer or some other "juniors" were just better than him and thus did not make team Kenya juniors. Now Wanjiru is stuck with his new date of birth since it is in his passport. There are tens of them if not hundreds, their age is immaterial once they graduate to seniors.

That's the point, if you age cheat once it's not like you can just go back to your real age.

He has to run with it now, so to speak.

Even U20 is nonsense and should be dropped. People mature differently and it is arbitrary.

He is at least 32.

Who cares how old he is??

survey says wrote:

WESTERN MOZUNGO wrote:

There are tens of them if not hundreds, their age is immaterial once they stop cheating as juniors.

FTFY

Showing a willingness to lie and cheat about their age, makes it pretty clear they have no moral code preventing them from lying and cheating about anything else that will get them ahead. Just part of a bigger problem.