Prisca Jepleting (r) leads the senior women's race followed by Fridah Domongole and winner Florence Kiplagat (© Joseph Kanyi)
Athletics Kenya has announced a final squad of 27 athletes for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships, Mombasa, Kenya (24 March).
Notably, the men's senior line-up is minus former World 5000m champion Eliud Kipchoge whose state of health has been far from perfect since suffering stomach stitches during the final trials race on 24 February 2007. His absence means that Simon Arusei Hosea, 10th in Fukuoka, and Hosea Macharinyang, sixth, are the only survivors of the World Cross Country men's senior team that went to Fukuoka last year.
World Championships 10,000 metres bronze medallist Moses Mosop and this season's new find Gideon Ngatuny will be seen as the new pillars of the men's senior team which will be going for its 20th team title.
From Embu, 130km, north east of the capital Nairobi, where the Kenyan team has been camping for the last two weeks, Kipchoge, the 2003 World champion at the 5000m confirmed he was unfit for the 24 March assignment, though he has been named as a reserve.
Police and national champion Richard Matelong, 13th in the trials, was included to boost the team's strength.
Like the men's team, the senior women's line-up in Mombasa are mainly new faces. They are led by the World Junior 5000m silver medallist Florence Kiplagat who won the trials and the Kericho leg of national weekend meeting series last December.
Leonard Komon, silver medallist last year in Fukuoka is the leading name in the junior men's team. Three of Kenya's best junior women - Pauline Korkwang, Veronica Nyaruai Wanjiru, and Mercy Kosgei - who swept the medals in that order in Fukuoka will line-up again in the junior women's team.
The Kenyan team departs on 21 March to Mombasa via Nairobi after close to a month in the residential training camp in high altitude in Embu.
Peter Njenga (Daily Nation) for the IAAF
Kenya team for the 35th IAAF World Cross Country Championships -
Senior men: Moses Mosop, Gideon Ngatuny, Bernard Kipyego Hosea Macharinyang, Simon Arusei, Edwin Soi, Mike Kipyego Barnabas Kosgei, Richard Matelong
Junior men: Mathew Kisorio, Nicholas Makau, Leonard Komon, Asbel Kiprop, Vincent Kiprop, Paul Mutero
Senior women: Florence Kiplagat, Prisca Jepleting, Pamela Chepchumba, Fridah Domongole, Vivian Cheruiyot, Emily Chebet
Junior women: Pauline Korikwiang, Mercy Kosgei, Linet Masai Mercy Cherono, Veronica Nyaruai Wanjiru, Gladys Chemweno
Reserves
Senior men: Hillary Bii, Eliud Kipchoge
Junior men: Barnard Kiplagat, Edwin Kipkorir
Senior women: Anne Cheptanui, Hellen Musyoka
Junior women: Mary Wacera, Chebichi Yator
Coaches
John Mwithiga, David Letting, Julius Kirwa
