Athletics: Kenya's change of heart

KENYA, which ruled out four Olympic champions and three world champions from its team for Barcelona following last week's trials, yesterday reinstated four of them after thinking better of its selection system.

The quartet - Paul Ereng, Moses Tanui, Moses Kiptanui and Paul Bitok - were initially omitted after finishing outside the first three places in Nairobi. Isaiah Kiplagat, head of the Kenyan squad for Barcelona, said yesterday: 'We can now say the team is final.' He confirmed that there was still no place for the Olympic 1500 and 5,000 metres champions, Peter Rono and John Ngugi, or the world 800 metres champion, Billy Konchellah.

Bitok, second at the trials without making the qualifying time, ran the fastest 5,000m in the world this year, 13min 08.91sec, in Oslo, a personal best by 26 seconds.