Rio 2016 Trials staying put in Eldoret- Kipchoge

National Olympics Committee of Kenya (Nock) chairman, Dr. Kipchoge Keino has confirmed the athletics Trials for Rio 2016 Olympics will still be held in Eldoret.

Reports surfaced on Thursday the event set for the end of this month would be moved from the self-styled City of Champions to Nairobi after an inspection visit by Nock at the Kipchoge Keino Stadium.

However, speaking on phone, the national Olympics body boss said they had resolved issues with the warm-up area that will now be at Eldoret University Faculty of Law grounds before athletes are transported to the stadium for their races.

“We shall be bringing the runners in by vehicle when their races are near. We also discussed the sitting capacity and we are in the process of bringing more seats. We did not consider moving the Trials from Eldoret, they will still be there,” the retired two-time Olympics champion added.

Last week, Athletics Kenya pushed the Trials back to allow elite athletes compete in the seventh and eighth legs of the IAAF Diamond League in Oslo and Stockholm.

The selection event was deferred from the June 14-15 to June 30-July 31 meaning top athletes can compete at the Scandinavian legs of the 14-meet international circuit competition in Norway (June 9) and Sweden (June 16).

The decision to hold the eagerly anticipated selection event in Eldoret has raised concerns about the facilities in the stadium and in the town to cater for the large influx of athletes, fans and media who are expected to descend on the town for the event dubbed ‘Mini Olympics’.

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athletics eldoret Dr. Kipchoge Keino National Olympics Committee-Kenya

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