Blow for Kenya as 2015 worlds silver winner Kamworor pulls out of Tokyo 2020
NAIROBI, July 23– Kenya’s hopes of medaling at men’s 10,000 m at Tokyo 2020 Olympics took a devastating blow on Thursday night when Beijing 2015 World Championships silver winner Geoffrey Kamworor pulled out. Kamworor, 28, was expected to give the rank favorite for the men’s 10,000 m Olympics gold- record holder and Doha 2019 world champion- Joshua Cheptengei…
NAIROBI, July 23 (Xinhua) — Kenya’s hopes of medaling at men’s 10,000m at Tokyo 2020 Olympics took a devastating blow on Thursday night when Beijing 2015 World Championships silver winner Geoffrey Kamworor pulled out.
The three-time winner of the World Half Marathon and World Cross Country champions confirmed he will not be travelling to Japan after suffering an ankle injury in training.
“I’m disappointed since I had trained hard for this, but it is unfortunate,” Kamworor said from his home in the aftermath of the news.
Kamworor, 28, was expected to give the rank favorite for the men’s 10,000m Olympics gold – record holder and Doha 2019 world champion – Joshua Cheptengei from Uganda a big race on July 30.
Having been injured in a motorcycle accident while training in June last year, Kamworor worked his way to fitness, signaling a return to his imperious best when he won the Kenyan trial for Tokyo 2020 in a staggering 27:01.16.
Kamworor revealed afterwards that he had spoken to his training partner – Olympic champion and marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge – beforehand, who set him the goal of qualifying.
“I needed a statement victory because I have had several challenges in the past one year. Our mentor Eliud Kipchoge was here, he had challenged us to make the team so that we can go to Tokyo together,” the Beijing 2015 silver winner told Athletics Kenya at the time.
Without him, Kenya’s hopes of medaling in the 25-lap race in Tokyo now hinge on Rodgers Kwemoi, the 2018 Commonwealth bronze winner who trailed Kamworor across the line at the trials.
Weldon Kipkurui Langat is the other Kenyan in the 10,000m line-up with the country seeking a first gold at the event for 43 years.
The legendary Naftali Temu (died 2003) remains the only Kenyan to win the 10,000m Olympics gold when he won the race at the Mexico City 1968 Summer Games. That was also the country’s first ever gold at the Olympics. Enditem
