Kenya has named a 37-member team for the World Track & Field Championships, which begin August 23 in Paris.
The Kenyan men's team features three athletes who will be defending their world titles in Paris. They are Reuben Kosgei in the 3,000-meter steeplechase; Richard Limo in the 5,000 meters; and Charles Kamathi in the 10,000 meters race. Abraham Chebii, one of the Kenyan sensations on this year’s European track circuit, was also selected. Abraham will compete in the 5,000 meters at the world championships.
On the women's side, Edith Masai is expected to be a strong contender for a medal in the French capital. Edith is the reigning world cross-country champion at four-kilometers. She will compete in the 5,000 meters event in Paris.
The team was selected after the two-day Kenyan World Championships trials, which ended July 26 at the Moi International Sports Center in Nairobi. One of the stars at the trials was Japeth Kimutai, the 1998 Commonwealth 800-meter champion. He ran the fastest time ever on Kenyan soil, clocking 1:43.71. The 24-year-old athlete fainted and vomited after crossing the finish line. His Australian manager, James Templeton, and his coach, Brother Colm O’Connell, said Kimutai was sick the whole day and had thought about withdrawing from the race.