Daniel Munguti's Olympics participation in doubt after missing qualifying standard in Poland

Daniel Munguti's Olympics participation in doubt after missing qualifying standard in Poland

Joel Omotto 14:25 - 21.06.2024

Daniel Munguti could miss an opportunity to fly Kenya’s flag at the Olympics after failing to attain the qualifying time on Thursday, leaving him with one week before the window closes.

Daniel Munguti’s chances of representing Kenya at the Paris Olympics hang in the balance after he failed to hit the qualifying time at the Irena Szewinska Memorial in Bydgoszcz, Poland on Thursday night.

Munguti finished second at the Athletics Kenya Olympics trials last weekend after clocking 3:35.80 behind Reynold Cheruiyot (3:35.63) and Olympics silver medalist Timothy Cheruiyot 3:35.90.

However, unlike the other two, who had already hit the required time at previous events, Munguti needs to run 3:33.50 and below before June 30 to seal Olympics qualification, hence his appearance at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold in Poland.

The 29-year-old could only manage fifth place behind Italian Federico Riva (3:36.37), Stefan Nillessen of the Netherlands (3:37.03), Ossama Melsek, also of Italy, who clocked 3:37.37, and Polish Filip Rak (3:37.60).

Munguti’s fifth place came with a much slower time of 3:38.52 which is way below the required Olympics qualifying standard which leaves him with little time to attain the mark.

He came close to hitting the Olympics qualifying standard when he clocked 3:33.71 for third place at Kip Keino Classic in April but has struggled since, managing 3:40.33 in Montreuil, France in May before 3:39.13 in Dessau, Germany the same month.

Munguti won the Mixed Relay event at the World Cross-Country Championships in Serbia in March and is looking to represent Kenya in an individual event for the first time but he now has just one week left to realise his dream.

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