TNT Sports
Koech in for Kenya
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Published 11/07/2005 at 13:55 GMT+1
Paul Kipsiele Koech was added to Kenya's 3,000m steeplechase team for next month's World Championships on Monday, giving the men who swept the medals at the 2004 Olympics the chance for a repeat in Helsinki.
Eurosport
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Koech, who pushed world record holder and world champion Saif Saaeed Shaheen to the line at the Rome Golden League meeting on Friday, joins Olympic champion, Ezekiel Kemboi and silver medallist Brimin Kipruto.
Koech took bronze in Athens last August as Kenya's 1-2-3 took their tally to 13 out of the last 18 Olympic steeplechase medals on offer.
"We have considered Koech's sterling performance at the Rome Golden League meeting last Friday. We feel he is the best suited for the global championships," Athletics Kenya secretary general David Okeyo told Reuters.
Koech finished fifth during the Kenyan trials on June 25 due to what he said was stomach cramps. But selectors named only Kemboi and Kipsiele and left the third place to be filled at a later date.
Koech put up a strong fight in Rome Golden League but lost on the home stretch to finish second behind Qatar's Shaheen, formerly Stephen Cherono of Kenya.
Koech ran a personal best time of 7:56.37, the sixth-fastest in the world all-time list.
Okeyo said Kenya will not name a third runner for the women's 5,000m, leaving just Olympic silver medallist Isabella Ochichi and Prisca Jepleting, who were first and second in the trials, to race in Finland.
Meanwhile, Okeyo has given runners who had earlier indicated that they would take part in Paris and Rome Golden League meetings up to Tuesday to report to the Kenyan camp in Nairobi or face the axe.
"We have put their travelling into consideration and we want them all in camp by Tuesday," he said.
Currently only four runners are in camp -Ochichi, David Kimutai (20km walk) Irene Kwambai (women's 10,000m) and Jeruto Kiptum (women's 3,000m SC).
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