Athletics Kenya has finally announced its Olympic marathon team for the Paris Olympics.

Here’s what you need to know:

– The men’s team for the Paris Olympics will be comprised of two-time Olympic champion and former world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, Tokyo Olympic champion Benson Kipruto and London Marathon champion Alexander Mutiso.

– The women’s team for the Paris Olympics will be comprised of reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir, two-time Boston Marathon champion and New York City Marathon champion Hellen Obiri and former world record holder and 2021 Olympic silver medalist Brigid Kosgei.

– Timothy Kiplagat and Sharon Lokedi will serve as the reserves if someone scratches due to injury.

– Kipchoge has an opportunity to make history as the first person to win back-to-back-to-back gold medals in the marathon. He wrote on Instagram: “I always say the Olympic dream is a special dream. The Olympic Games is what we all dream of as little kids starting out with our sport and is what motivates us the most today. I am beyond proud to be selected for the Kenyan team for the 5th time in my life. After winning the marathon gold medal in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo, my focus will now be on Paris!”

– Jepchirchir has an opportunity to become the first woman to win back-to-back gold medals in the marathon.

– Obiri has two Olympic silver medals in the 5000m. She is seeking her first Olympic gold medal and told CITIUS MAG: “I've been to three Olympics and in two Olympics, I've gotten number two. I do believe if I will be one of them representing Kenya, it will be my biggest opportunity to show I've been doing this on the track but now I'm a marathoner. This time it will be that time to get that gold that I've been looking for so many years."

Analyzing The Picks

– The men’s team lined up with my prediction following the London Marathon. The women’s team’s biggest surprise is the selection of Kosgei over Lokedi. This is where we knew some sort of politics would come into play since they rely on a team of selectors and don’t have an Olympic Trials. Nike is the sponsor of Team Kenya at the Games and global championships. Several reporters from Kenya have noted that it’s more of an unwritten formality for Nike to get an athlete on the Olympic team. If the team was rightfully Jepchirchir, Obiri and Lokedi, there would be no Nike athletes on the women’s side.

Lokedi had a much stronger case for selection with a third place finish at the New York City Marathon last fall and a runner-up finish in Boston. It proved she could be a formidable contender on Paris’ hilly course without any pacemakers.

Kosgei is coming off a fifth place finish in London in 2:19:02, where she was the third Kenyan across the finish line. She was beaten by about three minutes by Jepchirchir and Joyciline Jepkosgei (who wasn’t even on Athletics Kenya’s shortlist). Kosgei was beaten by Lokedi in New York and then went to Abu Dhabi about a month later to run 2:19:15. Since 2018, she has rarely run on a hilly course and opted for flat, fast races like London, Tokyo and Chicago.

It’s unfortunate for Lokedi, especially since Obiri publicly petitioned for her selection in their post-race press conference in Boston. Much like the Athletics Kenya blunder in 2016 when they didn’t select Mary Keitany and she went on to dominate at the New York City Marathon that fall in 2:24:26 (winning by nearly four minutes), I hope Lokedi goes on to dominate in her fall marathon of choice.