Athletics: Car thieves wound Kenyan Olympian

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.

Veteran road racer Osoro Ondoro was driving home with his wife and 4-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 Sunday after the Kenya Amateur Athletic Association dropped its original trio.

The association accused them of complacency and failing to train properly.

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

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

Kipchoge Keino, chairman of the National Olympic Committee of Kenya, yesterday 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