Haile: Kenyans for marathon
22/08/2008 9:59 PM
World record holder Haile Gebrselassie has tipped Martin Lel to become the first Kenyan winner of the Olympic marathon title in Beijing on Sunday.
The north African country has a grand tradition in road running but has never produced a marathon gold medallist at the Games, the best performances having come from Douglas Wakiihuri and Eric Wainaina who claimed silver in 1988 and 2000 respectively.
Gebrselassie believes 29-year-old Lel, who won the New York Marathon last spring and this year's London race, will hold the upper hand and his main rivals might be fellow Kenyans Sammy Wanjiru and Robert K Cheruiyot.
Asked for the likely outcome, Gebrselassie said: "The marathon - no questions but the Kenyans."
"Lel, he's the one. But you never know with the marathon, which is an open field. Lel is strong mentally and physically."
Gebrselassie himself opted out of the marathon, preferring to run over 10,000m, but he admits the Beijing air pollution - which he felt would be a hindrance - has not materialised.
The 35-year-old Ethiopian great, who finished sixth in the 10,000m, said: "I was surprised when I came for a warm-up here on the track - it was amazing. It wasn't only fresh, but a little bit cold."