Kenya official opposes team training in Bristol

NAIROBI - Athletics Kenya (AK) has turned down the proposal to have the Kenyan team train in Bristol City for one month prior to the start of the London Olympic Games.

The team, which was due to fly out starting July 1, might after all stay behind, especially the long distance runners, as AK opts for high altitude training.

"It will be futile to take the team, especially steeplechase, 5,000 and 10,000m athletes to Bristol, a low altitude venue, for training.

"They will waste the efforts we have put in preparing them for the games. It is however not our responsibility to decide on this issue," Kiplagat told journalists in Nairobi on Tuesday.

National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) and officials from the Kenya's ministry of Sports were the ones that signed the deal to have a Kenya team training camp in Bristol. However, AK, who have the mandate over the athletes said their technical team has advised them against taking the athletes to United Kingdom too early for the games.

"The whole world is coming to Kenya to train in long and middle distance races. Why would we take our team to Bristol, a low altitude area for training if we are serious to improve on our medal tally," he asked.

"Our technical bench has turned down the idea. But it is up to Nock and ministry of sport to make the decision. All we can do is advice them and for us, it is better the athletes, especially those in long distance to train here at home and delay their departure to UK as much as possible," said Kiplagat.