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Kenya's Sumgong predicts tough London 2017 selection

Xinhua, October 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

The selection of Kenyan marathon women's team for the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London will be tricky puzzle according to Olympics champion over the distance, Jemimah Sumgong.

Speaking after watching compatriot, Florence Kiplagat, defend her Chicago title on Sunday, Sumgong who made history as the first Kenyan female to win the Olympics marathon crown in Brazil during the August Summer Games said the depth of quality in the country posed a challenge to Athletics Kenya selectors.

"I know I will go to defend my London Marathon title while Florence will go to Boston or come with me to London," the 31 year-old said in Kapsabet, the tiny northern Kenya town where she joined fellow athletes and fans to watch the Chicago race.

"Kenya has so many talented female marathoners at the moment and it is difficult to know who will be in the World Championship team in London.

"Sumgong who also won her first London Marathon crown in April said performances at that event and city races of Boston, Rotterdam and Paris will have a huge bearing on who makes the Worlds team," she added.

Kenya will be out to reclaim the women's title that was won by Ethiopia's Mare Dibaba last year in Beijing, China with Helah Kirop coming only a second behind for silver where Sumgong missed out on the bronze medal after being beaten to third by Bahrain's Eunice Kirwa.

In Rio, Sumgong won the first gold medal for Kenya at the Rio 2016 Olympics and the first ever in the women's marathon after edging a supreme battle over the last two kilometres with the Kenyan born Kirwa.

The Kenyan made the last surge for the title after taking the lead at 39kms and arrived at the tape in 2:24:04 for the biggest win in her career.

Behind her, Kirwa took silver in 2:24:13 as Ethiopia's Dibaba who beat them to the gold in China closed the podium in 2:24:30.

Sumgong is currently leading the race to win a share of the 1 million US dollars 2015/16 World Marathon Majors jackpot in the women's standings with 50 points, followed by Kiplagat with 34 and Ethiopia's Aberu Kebede in third with 25. Endit