Mukasakindi denied

THE International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) has rejected the recent results attained by seasoned long distance runner Claudette Mukasakindi in bid to qualify for London Olympics.Mukasakindi clinched gold at the 2012 Cagliari Marathon in Italy early this month after clocking 2:40:18, a standard B time that is within the qualification mark for this year’s London Olympics.According to the IAAF Council entry standards for the marathon, the standard minima A is 2:37:00 and the standard minima B is 2:43:00 for the women’s category, a requirement that Mukasakindi met.Johnson Rukundo, the secretary general of local athletics federation said yesterday that the Cagliari marathon is not among the races shortlisted and approved by IAAF to make it to the world’s prestigious Games that are due July 27-August 12.“IAAF has not ratified Mukasakindi’s time and she has to compete in another (marathon) race to realise her chance of competing in the London Games,” confirmed Rukundo.Mukasakindi can now try to win one of these marathon races identified by the IAAF namely; Firenze, Limone sul Garda, Padova, Rome, Trieste and Venice, all in Italy where she is based.Rwanda’s other hopes are in seasoned marathoner Epiphanie NyIRabarame, who made her Olympics debut at the 2004 Athens and finished 66th at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 but is yet to qualify for London.The Africa athletics championship due in Benin in June is the only hope for Rwandans to qualify for London.

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Mukasakindi denied