Kosgei Fired!

http://espn.go.com/oly/news/2003/0904/1609355.html

Is the Federation mad he let one of their athletes get caught? Are they doing this to make it appear as if they are trying to clean up? Is it all for show?

Probably.

Re: Kosgei Fired!

I'll bet there are other reasons as well. Put together their perforances from last week and the World XC and you've got their lowest levels of dominance in over a decade. Ohio State supposedly got rid of John Cooper because of his inability to keep his athletes under control, but it was just as much because he couldn't beat Michigan.

[bubba]

Re: Kosgei Fired!

Your memory is far too short. Think back to the days before the World Championships... the name Cherono ring a bell?

Re: Kosgei Fired!

If memory serves, Kosgei was already fired once a couple of years ago by the Kenyans, then rehired.

[dl]

Re: Kosgei Fired!

The Kenyan Federation has no one to blame but themselves. They fielded an extremely weak team in Paris. They've gone to a U.S.-style selection system that puts the top 3 from the Trials on the team. It seemed necessary after all the politics/corruption that affected Kenyan teams in the past, but it has also resulted in many top stars being left out. Some potential medal winners who were not on the Kenyan squad for Paris:

Wilfred Bungei 800
Joseph Mutau 800
William Chirchir 1500
Cornelius Chirchir 1500
Sammy Kipketer 10,000

Instead, the federation is trying to blame their poor performance on agents, who in reality have been the saving grace for Kenyan athletics, in some ways, the last decade or so.

One hot rumor in Paris was that the new Sports Minister (under the new government that took control last year) is contemplating firing the whole Olympic committee and KAAA staff. Patrick Sang's name has been rumored for the new possible federation head.

[gh]

Re: Kosgei Fired!

There's also the altitude problem. In that it doesn't affect everyone equally. Here's a piece we wrote for the September '01 T&FN, pre-Edmonton:

Altitude Mixed Blessing For Kenya?

Being born and raised at altitude is thought to be one reason for Kenyan distance runners’ great success. But empirical evidence would seem to suggest that being forced to hold the nation’s big-meet Trials at 5500-foot Nairobi may deprive the country of some big stars each year. Those who are already international successes and live/train at sea level.

This year it’s Olympic medalists Bernard Lagat (5th 1500) and Wilson Boit (7th steeple) who couldn’t make the top 3 despite being huge forces on the circuit, before and after.
Other high-profile cases: Moses Kiptanui won the ’91 WC, but was only 4th in the Olympic Trials (that was the only race he lost all year); William Sigei set a 10K WR in ’94, but was only 5th in the ’95 Trials; Daniel Komen was 4th at 5K in the ’96 Trials, then became first ever to break 13:00 three times in a year.