NAIROBI, Kenya, June 13- Athletics Kenya (AK) have explained the omission of Geoffrey Kiprotich and Anastasia Kanini from the Donetsk World Youth squad despite both athletes winning their races below the qualifying standards of the eighth edition of the global event.
In a statement dispatched to newsrooms on Thursday, AK relations officer, Evans Bosire provided a couple of reasons behind the decision that left both budding runners in a flood of tears following the selection event that concluded in Nairobi a day earlier.
“While we acknowledge the fact they performed brilliantly and deserved a chance to compete, the selection committee decided not to include them in the team for the following reasons.
“The first is our allocated quota of 20 athletes from the IAAF was full. In deciding who to select, the Technical Committee looked at their performance in comparison to those of other competing nations expected in Ukraine and ruled the gap was significant enough to warrant giving others who have better chances to compete well,” part of the declaration read.
“We admire the spirit they showed in winning their events and we shall do all we can to ensure their talent is rewarded in due course,” he added.
The two-day Trials for Donetsk ended in anti-climax when Kiprotich and Kanini wept uncontrollably after their names were excluded in the travelling squad.
Kiprotich won the boys’ 400m Hurdles final in 51.3 that is well below the entry standard of the 2013 World Youth of 55.80 while Kanini clinched the girls’ 400m decider in 56.60 that is also sub- the 57.60 entry mark for the 2013 World Youth.
The selected squad will converge in Nairobi next Friday to begin a two-week training camp ahead of their July 5 departure for Ukraine.