NAIROBI — Car thieves have shot and wounded a member of Kenya’s Olympic marathon team, a day after he was selected for the Sydney Games, police said.

Veteran road racer Osoro Ondoro was driving home on Sunday evening with his wife and four-year-old son after attending the national Olympic trials in the capital Nairobi when he was attacked and his car stolen.

Hospital officials said Ondoro was in a stable condition with a neck wound.

The winner of the Chicago marathon in 1999, Ondoro was selected for the three-man Kenyan team on Saturday after the Kenya Amateur Athletic Association dropped its original trio, accusing them of complacency and failing to train properly.

Also selected were Rotterdam marathon winner Kennedy Cheruiyot and 1996 Atlanta Games marathon bronze medallist Eric Wainaina.

They replaced two-time Boston marathon winner Moses Tanui, reigning Boston champion Elijah Lagat and Japheth Kosgei, the Tokyo marathon winner.

Kipchoge Keino, chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya, on Monday condemned the changes, arguing they had weakened the team.

Incidents of ‘carjacking’ are on the rise in Kenya, fuelled by an economic crisis and a ready market for four-wheel-drive vehicles.

Reuters

Source: SOCOG