Olympics: Kamworor Exit Leaves Uganda With 1-2 Possibility In 10,000m

Kenya’s 10,000m runner Geoffrey Kamworor has pulled out of the ongoing 2020 Tokyo Olympics games due to an ankle injury, widening Uganda’s chance for two places at the podium.

Kamworor, who won the Kenyan 10,000m trials in a time of 27:01.06 at Kasarani, has recently been fronted as the number one rival for Uganda’s 10000m gold-bound Joshua Cheptegei.

This comes after Briton and two-time defending champion Mo Farah failed to qualify even after a special trial race in Manchester.

Kamworor is a 2019 New York Marathon winner, three-time World Half Marathon champion and also won silver at the 2015 World Championships.

Geoffrey Kamworor. Courtesy photo

This leaves Rodgers Kwemoi and Weldon Kipkurui as the Kenyan duo on the 10,000m track.

Ethiopians – Berihu Aregawi, Selemon Barega and Yomif Kejelcha – remain Uganda’s hurdle at the distance.

Cheptegei remains an outright favourite for gold alongside youngster Jacob Kiplimo while Stephen Kissa is the third athlete for Team Uganda at the 10,000m.

The men’s 10,000m event is due 30 July 2021 at the Japan National Stadium.

Cheptegei won the 10000m world title in Doha in 2019 at the World Athletics Championships.

In October Last year, he set a new World Record at the distance when he clocked 26:11.00 at the Valencia World Record Day in October, erasing Bekele’s previous best of 26:17.53 set back in 2005.

Kiplimo is slowly getting out of Cheptegei’s shadow after his exploits last year – he won the World Half Marathon in a championship record of 58:49.

Kiplimo also ran a world-leading 7:26.64 over 3000m, which is the fastest time since 2007.


TOP STORIES

WATCH VIDEOS

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fortbet