Marathon News - World Champion Luke Kibet Suffers Head Wound

Jan-3-2008

World Champion Luke Kibet Suffers Head Wound
by David Monti
(c) Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved

World marathon champion Luke Kibet suffered a head wound which required hospitalization when he was struck by a stone tossed by an angry mob outside of Eldoret, his Dutch manager Frans Denissen reported.

"On 29th of December at about 1 p.m., near Eldoret town Kibet, who was walking along the road with two other men, was hit by one of the stones thrown by a group of about 50 young Kikuyus," Denissen wrote in an e-mail message. "That caused a deep head wound, which has been sewed up that afternoon in a local hospital. Also a light brain shock was diagnosed."

Kibet, who surged away from all of his rivals to win the world marathon crown in the heat and humidity of Osaka last August, went to the same hospital again today in Eldoret for a follow-up exam. His stitches will remain in place until at least next week, and he is still suffering from headaches. He is in no condition to train.

"The attended doctor has forbidden him to train for the coming two weeks," wrote Denissen. "That is why Kibet's participation in Egmond Half Marathon in the Netherlands on January 13 had to be cancelled."

Kibet, 24, the #4-ranked marathoner in the world last year according to the Race Results Weekly rankings, is also scheduled to run the Flora London Marathon on April 13. He is in a three-way tie for fourth place in the 2007/2008 World Marathon Majors points race with 25 points.