Blow to Brigid Kosgei as injury rules her out of Olympics Games

By Peter Ochieng

It is official.

Kenyan marathoner Brigid Kosgei will miss the 2024 Olympics Games in Paris, France due to an injury.

The Olympics start on July 26, and end on August 11, 2024. The National Olympics Committee of Kenya (NOCK) in a statement on Wednesday said Brigid Kosgei, the 2020 London Marathon champion suffered an injury, following a routine medical assessment conducted in camp.

“The Kenya Marathon team heading to the Olympic games in Paris has been training for slightly over two months, and the athletes continue to receive financial support and technical support,” NOCK said.

“It’s during one of the regular monitoring sessions that Olympic silver medalist Brigid Kosgei expressed an injury concern to the technical team. Upon a review by the medical team led by the Chief Medical officer Dr Ondiege, Kosgei will not be heading to Paris for her second Olympics,” NOCK said.

Sharon Lokedi who was named as a reserve in Kenya’s women’s Olympic marathon team will now replace the injured Kosgei. "Sharon Lokedi who was named in the reserve team will now join defending Champion Peres Jepchirchir and Hellen Obiri to fly Kenya’s flag in Paris.”

Kosgei has had nagging injury concerns following an injury plagued two years. She had displayed signs of improvement by claiming top honours at the Lisbon Half Marathon in March. Her only other race this season saw her finish a disappointing fifth at the London Marathon.

The race was won by Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir. Lokedi will be making her Olympics debut in Paris, and will now join the Olympic marathon team camp that are split in Ngong, Nairobi and Eldoret before leaving for Paris, in August.

NOCK thanked Kosgei for the time spent in training under the Team Kenya Umbrella. The committee pledged to continue supporting her, throughout her entire recovery journey. Team Kenya’s men marathon team comprises Eliud Kipchoge, Amos Kipruto and Alexander Mutiso.