Kenya seek elusive marathon gold in last event

By Mitch Phillips

BEIJING (Reuters) - One of the strangest anomalies of Olympic athletics might be finally addressed on Sunday, when Kenya launch a strong trio into the men's marathon aiming to win the event for the first time.

The east Africans have a deep pedigree of distance running and golds galore on the track.

They have also claimed many wins at the big-city marathons, tasted success at the world championships and have six of the all-time top-10 men over the distance. At Olympic time, however, they have always fallen short.

Douglas Wakiihuri lost out by 15 seconds to winner Gelindo Bordin of Italy in 1988 while Eric Wainaina, who also took bronze in 1996, had to settle for silver in Sydney when he finished 20 seconds behind Ethiopian Gezahgne Abera.

Their preparations for an assault on Beijing were disrupted earlier this month when Robert Cheruiyot pulled out injured, but in world champion Luke Kibet they have a decent replacement.

Three-times London marathon winner Martin Lel and Samuel Wansiru, second by nine seconds to Lel in London this year, complete a formidable trio in the last event of the athletics program.

With their track athletes enjoying a great Games, with four golds and host of minor medals, and with Ethiopian world record holder Haile Gebrselassie opting not to race because of concerns over air quality, the pressure is on for the marathoners to deliver.

Everything is not going quite to plan though, as Kibet says he is underprepared after his late call-up, while Lel's training was affected by flu.

Ethiopia, in contrast to their neighbors, have won the Olympic marathon four times, more than any other nation, and have been buoyed by their formidable distance success on the track in Beijing.

Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba both won their 10,000 and 5,000 meters races, the first time the double has been achieved since the 1980 Games, and there could be more medals on Sunday.

Deriba Merga and Tsegay Kebede are both sub-2:07 runners, while even Gashaw Asfaw has a chance.

Abderrahim Goumri, behind Lel and Wansiru as the sixth-fastest marathoner of all time, leads a strong Moroccan team while Italy's Stefano Baldini will seek to defend his title despite injuries affecting his build-up.

One man who will not win, but who is guaranteed a momentous welcome when he enters the Bird's Nest, is 53-year-old Seteng Ayele, a former Ethiopian refugee now representing Israel, who finished 20th in Athens.

(Editing by Alex Richardson)