Kenya
Eliud Kipchoge, reigning Olympic champion, world record holder and the first man run a marathon under 2 hours, will be the leader of the Kenyan selection for the 2020 Olympic games in August in Sapporo, Japan.
The Kenyan made history, not only for the marathon, but also for the sport, by passing under the hitherto impassable 2-hour mark over the 42.195 km last October in Vienna, in an unofficial marathon tailor-made for him.
The world record holder with 2h01:39 in Berlin in 2018, has won 12 of the 13 marathons he has run in his career since 2013.
He will be on target in April at the London Marathon, against Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele, who came very close to snatching his record in September in Berlin.
The Kenyan women’s team looks set to be formidable and will be led by new world record holder Brigid Kosgei and reigning world champion Ruth Chepngetich.
To avoid the dreaded heat in Sapporo in the north of Tokyo in August, the ladies’ and men’s marathon of the Olympic Games will take place on 8 and 10 August respectively.
AFP
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