Wesley Korir of Kenya gestures after crossing the finish line to win the men's division of the 2012 Boston Marathon in Boston, Monday, April 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
If he ran for any other country, Wesley Korir would be going to the Olympics.
But Korir, this year's Boston Marathon winner and one of the fastest men on the planet, is Kenyan. That means as fast as he is, he's one of many world-class Kenyan runners left off the London roster of the world's most dominant distance running country.
Korir, who trains in the St. Clements area with his wife - fellow Olympic hopeful Tarah Korir - found out this week he's not part of the three-man marathon team headed to London. Neither is world record-holder Patrick Makau, who failed to finish the London Marathon last weekend because of a hamstring injury.
Multiple New York and London champion Martin Lel didn't make it. Geoffrey Mutai, who set a course record in winning last year's New York Marathon, also missed out. World bronze medallist Sharon Cherop didn't make the cut for the women, either.
Instead, London Marathon winner Wilson Kipsang, two-time defending world champion Abel Kirui and Chicago titleholder Moses Mosop were the men named by Athletics Kenya for the Olympic race.
A disappointed Korir says he may still try to qualify for Kenya in the 10,000-metyre event. But his real priority is supporting his wife's own Olympic dream of running for Canada in the 5,000-metre event, he said.
We spent the morning with Korir, his wife and their young duaghter McKayla on Friday. We'll bring you their remarkable story later in May.
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