Racing: Wanjiru heads for Japan to prepare for the Olympics

NAIROBI, May 7 (Xinhua) — World half-marathon record holder Sammy Wanjiru is expected to leave Kenya next week for Japan where he will start preparation for the Beijing Olympic Games. Wanjiru trains in Japan with Coach coach Francis Kamau and last year won the presigious Fukuoka Marathon in his debut at the distance.

Wanjiru finished runner-up in the London Marathon early this month in one of the most hotly contestd marathons in history. He has said he will return home to Kenya in July to join other Kenyan athletes in preparations for the Olympic Games.

Wanjiru has said that he hopes to improve his training techniques for better performance in the world games in China.

Wanjiru, London and New York Marathon winner Martin Lel, Four time Boston Marathon winner Robert Cheruiyot and Rotterdam Marathon winner William Kipsang are all among the nine marathoners selected for the Kenyan team.

Athletics coach Francis Kamau who nurtured Wanjiru said he believes that the athlete is aggressive and may bring back to Kenya the world Marathon record. The record is currently in the hands of Ethiopian icon Haile Gebreselassie.

Wanjiru is one of the most promising of a young group of today’s marathon runners. At just 21 years-old, and with only two marathons under his belt, he has run the sixth and 35th fastest times in history. He has also set the world half-marathon record twice.

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