Kispiro out of Olympics

KAMPALA. Team Uganda will head to next month’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil without its most decorated runner.
Moses Kipsiro has given up on his dream of making a third straight Olympic Games appearance citing poor preparations. Kipsiro qualified in the men’s marathon but doesn’t expect to be selected because he posted the slowest time among the six runners that hit the mark.

Yesterday, Kipsiro was expected to make another attempt at qualification by competing in the 10,000m at the National Championships in Namboole but he didn’t show up.
As other national runners jostled for last minute tickets to the Rio Games, Kipsiro was in Kapchorwa training. “My manager (Ricky Simms) wanted me to try and qualify in the 10,000m but I am done with track. I know I would have competed at Namboole and easily qualified but it doesn’t make sense for me to go to the Olympics just for the sake of it. I want to go there and win,” the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth 10,000m champion said on phone last evening.

Kipsiro has won medals at all major championships apart from the Olympics. “I want an Olympic medal before I retire and I know I will get it. Right now I am training hard and will be running road races in USA next month. Four years are not very far. I will work for a medal at the 2020 Olympics,” noted the 29-year-old long distance star. After finishing 14th in the Hamburg Marathon in April in which he clocked 02:15:30 hours to make the Olympics grade, Kipsiro lost about a month in the treatment room and that cost him dearly.
“I had some malaria before the marathon and after running my situation became worse. I received treatment for more than a month without proper training. I realized it didn’t make sense for me to return to track,” he added.

In Kipsiro’s absence yesterday, Thomas Ayeko produced a stunning display to win the 10,000m final in 27 minutes and 57.3 seconds, becoming the first Ugandan to qualify for a major championship on home soil in three years.
The 24-year-old had also already qualified for Rio over the marathon having clocked 2:12:07 while finishing fourth on his debut 42km race at the Slved Marathon in Spain last October. “I was home but wasn’t sure whether I would be on the list to Rio or not,” Ayeko said, “So I decided to come and try and qualify. I will also try and qualify in the 5,000m tomorrow (today).”

SELECTED RESULTS
WOMEN’S 1500M FINAL
Dorcus Ajok (Prisons) 4:20.5
Esther Chebet (Serere) 4:22.2
MEN’S 1500M FINAL
Abu Mayanja (UWA) 3:44.1
Alex Cherop (Police) 3:48.2
WOMEN’S 10000M
Rebecca Cheptegei (UPDF) 35:05.3
Sarah Akiror (Prisons) 36:17.9
WOMEN’S LONG JUMP
Mary Uyuthfua (UCU) 5.50m
Linda Acou (Police) 5.15m
MEN’S LONG JUMP
Francis Oketayot (UCU) 7.09m.

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