Kenya Olympics trials, camp to be in Eldoret

For the first time in history, the June 2016 Rio Olympics trials will be held in Eldoret with the team selected thereafter camping in the same region to prepare for the Summer Games in Brazil.

National Olympics Committee of Kenya (Nock) chairman, Dr. Kipchoge Keino told Citizen Digital the decision was taken on Tuesday with the Kipchoge Keino Stadium hosting the showdown to select the country’s celebrated track and field team on June 14 and 15.

“There have a lot of problems in Nairobi. If they want to do training where there is grass, you have to take them to Kiambu. Murram track is not in Nairobi, you cannot always use tartan all the time, it can injure somebody,” the two-time Olympic champion who is considered the father of Kenya’s distance running said.

On Tuesday, Kipchoge met with the Governor of Uasin Gishu, Jackson Mandago and his Elgeyo Marakwet counterpart, Alex Torgos where modalities to host the trials and training camps were discussed.

According to the Nock boss, the men and women marathon teams will train in Iten while track and field athletes will prepare for Rio at the University of Eldoret (UOE) Chepkoilel Campus, Kipchoge Stadium and Kaptagat.

The men’s rugby sevens squad that recently won the HSBC World Series Main Cup title in Singapore will return to Nandi Bears Club where they prepared ahead of the start of the current season for their Olympics camp.

Their female counterparts will be based at the UOE School of Law.

Nock is targeting to bring back a better medal harvest than the 2012 edition in London where David Rudisha and Ezekiel Kemboi were the only athletes to win the gold medal in the men 800m and men 3000m steeplechase.

Kipchoge added logistical planning for the Trials was already underway with the self-styled capital of distance running braced for an influx of local and foreign visitors during the meet.

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