Uganda’s most successful athletes Moses Kipsiro and Stephen Kiprotich will not be at the IAAF World Championships in London, England next month.
The long-distance running pair cited personal reasons as to why they will miss the August 4-13 event. “My body and mind are not ready for London,” Kiprotich told this website in an interview earlier this week during the National Track and Field Championships in Namboole. It means Kiprotich, marathon gold medalist at 2012 Olympics in London and 2013 World Championships in Moscow, will miss a championship event for the second time in six years.
Kiprotich opted out of the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scottish capital Glasgow but had taken part in the 2011 and 2015 Worlds. He also participated in the 2016 Rio Olympics. “I love doing things to perfection. For now, I don’t think I am ready to give my best. So I told the Uganda Athletics Federation (UAF) about this. I actually wanted to sit out this entire year but I ended up doing many races.” Kiprotich added. Kiprotich had qualified for London after finishing second in a time of two hours, seven minutes and 31 seconds at the Hamburg Marathon in Germany on April 23.
His time was the best of six marathoners who had qualified but Kiprotich’s withdrawal left 2015 World bronze medalist Solomon Mutai, Dusseldorf Marathon winner Robert Chemonges and Kipsiro as the destined trio for London. However, the latter also dropped out, leaving the last slot in the quota system to Alex Chesakit, the runner-up at the Castellon Marathon in Spain on February 19. “Marathon is about preparation but I told UAF I am not ready,” Kipsiro said. “Between my last marathon (Ottawa) and London Worlds, there has not been enough time for my body to recover and prepare well.”
Kipsiro came fourth in a new personal best of 2:10:49 at the Ottawa Marathon in Canada. He will now not represent Uganda for the third year running, his last time in the Ugandan bib coming when he stormed to 10000m gold in Glasgow. “It is painful and that hits my mind. But come the next Worlds (Doha 2019) and Tokyo (2020 Olympics), I have to be there.” added the three-time Commonwealth gold medalist.
It is the first time in 13 years that Uganda will be without either Kipsiro or Kiprotich at a championship event. It last happened at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece.
2017 IAAF LONDON WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
MARATHONERS’ QUALIFICATION TIMES
Stephen Kiprotich - 2017 Hamburg Marathon (2nd, 2:07:31)
Solomon Mutai - 2017 Lake Biwa Marathon (3rd, 2:09:59)
Robert Chemonges - 2017 Dusseldorf Marathon (1st, 2:10:32)
Moses Kipsiro - 2017 Ottawa Marathon (4th, 2:10:49)
Alex Chesakit - 2017 Castellon Marathon (2nd, 2:14:11)
Jackson Kiprop - 2016 Mumbai Marathon (8th, 2:14:54)
ATHLETES QUALIFIED FOR LONDON
Winnie Nanyondo & Halima Nakaayi (800m), Esther Chebet & Ronald Musagala (1500m), Peruth Chemutai, Abel Sikowo, Albert Chemutai & Jacob Araptany (3000m Steeplechase), Jacob Kiplimo & Stephen Kiisa (5000m), Juliet Chekwel, Timothy Toroitich & Martin Kurong (10000m), Mercyline Chelangat & Joshua Cheptegei (5000m & 10000m), Robert Chemonges, Alex Chesakit & Solomon Mutai (Marathon)
KIPROTICH AT A GLANCE
Date of Birth: February 27, 1989
Main Event: Half-Marathon, Marathon
Personal Best: 1:01.15 (Half-Marathon), 2:06.33 (Marathon)
Manager: Jurrie van der Velden
Twitter Handle: @Stephen42k
Kit Sponsor: Nike
MARATHON CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
2011 - 1st Enschede Marathon (2:07:20)
2011 - 9th Daegu World Champs (2:12:57)
2012 - 3rd Tokyo Marathon (2:07:50)
2012 - 1st London Olympics (2:08:01)
2013 - 6th London Marathon (2:08:05)
2013 - 1st Moscow World Champs (2:09:51)
2013 - 12th New York Marathon (2:10:56)
2014 - 12th London Marathon (2:11:37)
2014 - 5th New York Marathon (2:13:25)
2015 - 2nd Tokyo Marathon (2:06:33)
2015 - 6th Beijing World Champs (2:14:42)
2016 - 4th Tokyo Marathon (2:07:46)
2016 - 14th Rio Olympics (2:13:32)
2017 - 2nd Hamburg Marathon (2:07:31)
KIPSIRO AT A GLANCE
Date of birth: September 2, 1986
Manager: Ricky Simms
Kit Sponsor: Adidas
Major Races: Half-Marathon, Marathon
Personal Best: Half Marathon (62:18), Marathon (2:15:48)
MARATHON CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Apr 17, 2016: Hamburg Marathon, 14th (2:15:48)
Nov 6, 2016: New York Marathon, 7th (2:14:18)
May 28, 2017: Ottawa Marathon, 4th (2:10:49)
This writer is a scribe with Daily Monitor Newspaper and, also a sports presenter with NBS Television and Radio One FM 90 in Kampala. Follow him on Twitter: @AllanDarren and his Facebook Page: Darren Allan Kyeyune