Kenyan champions fail to secure return ticket to Olympics

 NAIROBI, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Four years ago Kenya entered a squad¹ of 46 athletes at the Olympic Games in Beijing and only 14 were lucky to return home with a medal.

However, a lot of water has gone down the drain and as Kenya prepares for the London Olympics, which start in a month's time, five of the 14 lucky medallists will be making the trip to the English capital after passing the explosive Kenyans trials Saturday in Nairobi.

Olympic 800m champion Pamela Jelimo, Brimin Kipruto, winner in 3,000m steeplechase and Asbel Kiprop the king of 1,500m distance are the only gold medallists returning to the Olympics.

There will be no room for Wilfred Bungei (800m), Nancy Jebet Lagat (1,500m) and the late Samuel Wanjiru (Marathon). Janeth Jepkosgei, the 800m world bronze winner is the only survivor² among the Olympic silver medallists.

Catherine Ndereba hopes of winning an Olympic gold have been buried after she retired³ from marathon while Eunice Jepkorir and Eliud Kipchoge were not fit enough to force their way to the 46 member Kenya team that was named Saturday for the games in London.

Only Edwin Soi will be retained among the four bronze medallists after he proved his prowess in the 5,000m distance.

However for Richard Mateelong, Micah Kogo and Alfred Kirwa Yego, the task of Kenyan trials was too much for their liking⁴.

However, head coach Julius Kirwa has jumped to the defence of the selected team warning the opponents to dismiss the Kenyans at their own peril⁵.

"It is always hard to name a Kenya team. If we repeat the trials tomorrow, certainly some of the athletes that have made it today will miss out.

"In Kenya nothing is constant, especially in middle and long distance races. There are new athletes who are emerging everyday and it will be like thing always. The younger generation is quickly staking claim to a slot in the team and they will not disappoint, they will go on to conquer the world," Kirwa told Xinhua on Sunday in Nairobi.

Alongside track, National Olympic Committee of Kenya (Nock) official Stephen Soi confirmed that David Dunford will be joining his brother Jason as Kenyan representatives at the London games.

The duo were in Beijing four years ago, where Jason ruled the world for seven minutes when he posted a new Olympic record in 100m butterfly discipline. USA Michael Phelps shuttered the record later.

"We have got confirmation⁶ from World Swimming Federation⁷ (FINA) granting David Dunford the wild card to compete at the Olympics," said Soi.

Kenya will have two boxers⁹ at the Olympics with Elizabeth Andiego was granted an Olympic berth¹⁰ by Amateur International Boxing Association after it ruled that she had lost unfairly to Lien¹¹ Lotte of Norway in middleweight at the World Women Boxing Championships in Qinhuangdao, East China.

The other boxer⁸ is Benson Gicharu. This will mean that Kenya will have athletes in three disciplines boxing, swimming and track and field. Kenya won 14 medals in Beijing - six gold, four silver and four bronze.

1 squad   

n.班，小队，小团体；vt.把…编成班或小组

参考例句：

• The squad leader ordered the men to mark time.班长命令战士们原地踏步。
• A squad is the smallest unit in an army.班是军队的最小构成单位。

2 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

3 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

4 liking   

n.爱好；嗜好；喜欢

参考例句：

• The word palate also means taste or liking.Palate这个词也有“口味”或“嗜好”的意思。
• I must admit I have no liking for exaggeration.我必须承认我不喜欢夸大其词。

5 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

6 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

7 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

8 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

9 boxers   

n.拳击短裤；（尤指职业）拳击手( boxer的名词复数 )；拳师狗

参考例句：

• The boxers were goaded on by the shrieking crowd. 拳击运动员听见观众的喊叫就来劲儿了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The boxers slugged it out to the finish. 两名拳击手最后决出了胜负。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 berth   

n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊

参考例句：

• She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.她订了一张由伦敦开往阿伯丁的火车卧铺票。
• They took up a berth near the harbor.他们在港口附近找了个位置下锚。

11 lien   

n.扣押权，留置权

参考例句：

• A lien is a type of security over property.留置是一种财产担保。
• The court granted me a lien on my debtor's property.法庭授予我对我债务人财产的留置权。