Flagstaff now has another Olympian.
Under Armour Dark Sky’s Sharon Lokedi, the runner-up in this year’s Boston Marathon and a New York City Marathon champion, will be going to Paris, after all. Kenya’s athletics committee originally chose Brigid Kosgei for the third spot on the country’s strong team, leaving Lokedi as the alternate.
But on Wednesday morning, the federation announced that Kosgei has an unspecified and will not participate in the Aug. 11 marathon, meaning Lokedi will join countrywomen Hellen Obiri and defending champion Peres Jepchirchir.
Lokedi, presumably, has been in training for a fall marathon. Most recently, she finished a strong second in the New York Road Runners Club Mini 10K a month ago, running 31:04.
Kosgei’s choice was controversial. She has solid credentials but has not run as well lately as Lokedi. Kosgei most recent results include fifth place in the London Marathon, fourth in the 2023 New York Marathon and first at the 2023 Abu Dhabi Marathon.
The two have raced head-to-head, with Lokedi finishing third in New York in 2023, 12 seconds ahead of Kosgei. Lokedi’s runner-up performance to Hellen Obiri at Boston was widely seen as a superior effort than Kosgei’s fifth place in London. Obiri, herself, had lobbied for Lokedi to be picked for the third Kenyan spot. Peres Jepchirchir earned the second spot on the team.
Some journalists and track observers have speculated that Kosgei got the nod because she is sponsored by Nike, which also sponsors the Kenyan team. Obiri runs for On, Jepchirchir for Adidas, and Lokedi Under Armour.
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