How can athletics Kenya make such a stupid decision not to select makau? For heavens sake this is the world record holder, ati because he dropped out in London. Kenyans should only expect one medal from Kipsang, nothing from Kirui and Mosop. I hear kales are not happy that the record is held by a Kao - talk about taking Kenyan tribalism to the next level...

its silly.

There is a lot of misinformation here. Makau being left out has nothing to do with his not being a kale.

Athletics Kenya probably has the hardest job of selecting 6 men from a field that features the best in the world. Patrick Makau may be the world record holder but he is not Kenyas or the worlds fastest marathoner. That title is Geoffrey Mutai's and second is Moses Mosop. So if it was purely on who can run fastest he would still come third.

Then you also have to consider recent form in the run up to the marathon. Since winning the Berlin marathon and setting the world record in September 2011 he has come second in a half marathon and did not finish the recent London marathon. Compare that recent form with that of Kipsang who won the Frankfurt marathon in October 2011 with a time of 2:03:42 just 4 seconds short of Makaus world record on a course that is much inferior to Berlin and then won the London marathon in a time 4 seconds shy of the course record. So again on this point Kipsang would definitely deserve a place ahead of Makau.

Olympics are run in the summer and without pace setters. Makau's triumphs are in city marathons that have pacesetters and are run under almost ideal cool fall or spring conditions. I would therefore choose Abel Kirui who has won 2 world championships in summer ahead of Makau, not to mention he came in 6th in the London marathon in which he was up there pushing the pace for most of the race.

Again just on recent form I would choose Martin Lel ahead of Makau.

This has nothing to do with tribe. It is a tough choice and simply because Makau is a world record holder for which we are very proud he just does not make the cut at this time. No other Olympic selection committee in the world has this kind of problem. They wish they did. We have just 6 slots and have maybe 10 or more people capable of winning a gold in the marathon. Its a tough choice.

Kusadikika, thank you for explaining that!!!!......surely saying that Makau was left coz of his tribe is a shame to Kenya!!!

I can't blame AK. Picking Kenya's men and women marathon teams must be the toughest thing ever. I don't know what I'd have done.

NKT.. kenyans shida yetu ni always having to expaling everything with a tribal line..

all those who are saying that makau was not picked coz he is not a kale can they prove this to us instead of just running their mouths wildy..

Mimi ni Mkenya kwa kuzaliwa hapa Kenya na kukua kujivunia kuwa Mkenya. Fasihi ni somo nililolipenda sana na Kusadikika kilikuwa mojawapo ya vitabu nilivyofurahia sana. Hata baada ya miaka mingi bado naweza kunukuu vifungu vichache kutoka kwenye kitabu hicho. Kwa mfano, "Ni nadra sana kwa mtu asiye na mvi kuwa na hekima. Weusi wa nywele za mshtakiwa waonyesha ujinga alio nao." Nafikiri Shaban bin Robert mwandishi wa tamthilia hii alikuwa mtu mwenye ufahamu bora wa nafsi za binaadamu kwani ni mara nyingi nimekutana na watu wengi wenye fikira na tabia kama za wahusika wakuu kwenye vitabu vyake.

Bwana Kusadikika wewe ndie mwisho.

I thought I heard enough of these tribal chiefs. The AK has proven that they take their work seriously. So if we have 1000 kales running, it is the best team in Kenya. And if someone sees tribe in this, then they are the ones with a problem not AK. They should tell Makau to run better daily.

Good work Kusadikika.

hii ndio ubaya wa wakenya, makau amechapa hii season halafu mnaaza kusema ni kwa sababu ni mkamba? mavi ya kuku nyinyi!! he earned 83M!! Complacency must kick in, just like jelimo did but he will bounce back.

Nobody is trying to underplay Makau's achievement as a world class marathon runner. He is the world record holder and his profile of victories is respectable and enviable.

The point is there are no "Ifs" in athletics or any other sport so we do not know that IF Makau had ran Boston he would have beaten Mutai or Mosop. He did not run Boston.

Mosop is in the team because he has a personal best of 2:03.06 marathon time against Makau's 2:03.38.

How have the two performed in the last one year:
Makau
25 September 2011- 2:03: 38 - Winner Berlin marathon. World Record

5 February 2012 - 1:02: 40 - - 2nd position Granollers half marathon

April 2012: London marathon failed to finish.

Now let us look at Mosop:

3 June 2011: 1:12:25 (25k) 1:26:47 (30k)- Prefontaine classic. World records in the two distances.

9 October 2011 : 2:05:37 - Winner Chicago marathon. Course record

15 April 2012: 2:05:03 - 2nd in Rotterdam marathon.

So although Makau is the world record holder Mosop has run a faster marathon than him and has shown greater consistency in the last one year. The Olympic marathon is not run at anywhere near world record times so current form and consistency have a greater weight than personal best times.

I rest my case.