Forums >Racing>Mutai and Makau don't make the cut
Wow.
"Way to make Borat look overdressed"
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Dang.
The powers of the Kenyan selection group didn't look kindly on the crash at Boston.
To me, this is a reasonable selection, if you had to choose 3, given their bios. An argument could be made for Mutai over Kirui, but they raced for it at London and Kirui beat him.
The Logic of Long Distance
I'd pick Makau and both Mutais over Kirui based on their resumes, but if you consider Boston/London/Rotterdam a sort of trials then the three they picked make sense.
The good news is the Berlin Marathon should have a nice lead pack.
The good news for the rest of the world is that the Kenyans have to give up their biggest advantage -- depth -- at the Olympics.
I'd pick Makau and both Mutais over Kirui based on their resumes, but if you consider Boston/London/Rotterdam a sort of trials then the three they picked make sense. The good news is the Berlin Marathon should have a nice lead pack.
I'm pretty surprised they left G. Mutai off. The heat at Boston didn't end up sitting well with him and he withdrew, I don't really see the problem. If he finishes the race he runs the risk of being absolutely fried and then has concerns about being recovered in time to train for London. Has he even run a marathon with intense heat before? Could have even been inexperience that caused the struggles. But let's face it, Mutai dominated last year, with a great Boston performance and an insane NYC CR. He has also run well at other distances and at XC, which means he can probably handle more difficult conditions and turns, and with London having plenty of those that could be relevant.
The only reason I could understand that is if AK is worried that Mutai can't run well in the heat, and with the Olympics being in August...
I agree with the Kirui decision. He is a proven winner under big time circumstances. Moreover he seems to dominate in non-rabbited races, of which the Olympics certainly is. FInally, iirc Kirui has never run a particularly good spring marathon and always runs significantly better in the fall.
Kipsang is an in form beast right now. Destroying that kind of field in London by 2+ minutes....wow.
True.
But then you factor in the Ethiopians who should be bringing 3 2:04 guys also and you have a significant number of monster runners that the rest of the world is up against. Unless several of the Kenyan and Ethiopian runners struggle or blow up it's going to be tough for the rest of the world. The marathon can be a fickle beast though.
Either way it should be a great race!
Being left off isnt the worst thing. Its not like they get paid (at least directly) to compete.
Still, Olympics is pretty much THE crowning event. Nothing like getting to go represent your country, not to mention an Olympic medal is generally as prestigious as it gets. Much more so than winning a random major marathon, or even a WC.
The good news is the Berlin Marathon should be a blur of speedy awesomeness.
Fixed.
I like running alone.
However...ironically....the speediest guys/gals cleaning it up at the major marathons rarely win at the Olympics.
Although last time Sammy won...
While he'd shown some promise with HM performances, winning Foukuka (sp?) and placing in London, it was winning Beijing that MADE him one of the big dogs...I don't recall him being considered a top pick before the race. He hadn't won any of the majors. But my memory could be faulty.
MTA: I didn't mean in my original post that the favorites NEVER win, but compared to other Olympic events I think the marathon stands out as the one running event where they do not, more often than not.
While he'd shown some promise with HM performances, winning Foukuka (sp?) and placing in London, it was winning Beijing that MADE him one of the big dogs...I don't recall him being considered a top pick before the race. He hadn't won any of the majors. But my memory could be faulty. MTA: I didn't mean in my original post that the favorites NEVER win, but compared to other Olympic events I think the marathon stands out as the one running event where they do not, more often than not.
He'd broken the HM world record the previous year and, as you say, won Fukuoka in 2:06:39. He was second in London in Olympic year in 2:05:24.
You're right about the favourites often not winning, but the point about Sammy at the Olympics is that he did run it fast, unlike a lot of previous Olympic marathons where nobody really wanted to take on the pace. Prior to that race the olympic record was 2:09x. Maybe that'll set a trend...
Interesting information on the selection process from Renato Canova, coach of Kirui and Mosop, (from letsrun)
...the appointed Kenyan responsible coach for Marathon in Olympics, David Letting, had the opportunity (and also the precise task from AK) to follow the most important workouts of all the 6 men and women selected, from the beginning of January, and could see with his eyes the level of preparation of Abel, in not less than 5 workouts (one of them, 40 km in 2:04:54 !)....So, for everybody thinks his selection is only due to his two World titles, the real reason is that AK had precise infos about the shape of Abel and Moses in training, their problems and the solutions : exactly the same with the other competitors. ...Read more: http://www.letsrun.com/forum/flat_read.php?thread=4550835#ixzz1tFN71OxF
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