NAIROBI, March 10 (AFP) - Olympic marathon silvermedallist Eric Wainaina and newcomer Simon Korir havebeen selected to join world record holder Paul Tergat inthis summer’s games in Athens, athletics officialsannounced on Wednesday.
``Wainaina is the only athlete to have won Olympicmedals for Kenya and deserves his place in the squad,’'Athletics Kenya (AK) chairman Isaiah Kiplagat said ofthe Japan-based star, who won a bronze medal in the 1996Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Korir, a training mate of Tergat, helped hisillustrious compatriot break the world best time of 2hr4mins 55sec in Berlin last year and finished only asecond behind the five-time world cross countrychampion.
Martin Lel, the winner of the New York and Rotterdammarathon races last year, and Rodgers Rop were named inthe reserves.
Kiplagat said the selectors had taken trouble toidentify women marathon runners for the games, but hadopted for the Paris world championship gold medallistand former world record holder Catherine Ndereba andtwo-time New York City marathon winner Margaret Okayo ina three-member squad.
Relatively-unknown Alice Chelagat has been draftedinto the team which has no reserves.