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Kenya' s Mutai ruled out of Boston marathon, Olympics

Xinhua, April 7, 2016 Adjust font size:

Former Berlin marathon champion Geoffrey Mutai has been ruled out competing at the Olympics because he feels he will not be ready.

At the same time, Mutai confirmed that he will not be competing in next month' s Boston marathon. It is a blow to the 35-year-old who was pitching for a final shot at the Olympic Games.

"It is disappointing for me because I expected to regain my fitness in time for Boston. As you know Kenya will be picking its marathon team in London and Boston and my inability to compete in either races, certainly rules me out of the Olympics," he said on Wednesday in Nairobi.

Mutai, who holds a personal best time of 2:04:15, from his win in Berlin back in 2012, however, says he may return to action in the same race in September after he has regained his fitness.

"I got back to training late because of a nagging knee injury and cannot be ready in one month' s time. So I will continue training and test my shape in smaller races and hopefully in September will be ready for the marathon season again," he said.

Organisers of the Boston marathon have also confirmed that Ethiopia' s Abdelmajid El Hissouf and Purity Rionoripo of Kenya will also not be starting the race due to injury. Endit