Nairobi — Berlin Half Marathon champion Bernard Kipyego is the lucky beneficiary of the coach's wild card, having been named to join Sammy Kitwara and Gedion Ngatunyi in Kenya's 10,000m squad for the World Athletics championship in Berlin, Germany, in August.

Kipyego was third at the national trials, edging out Moses Masai, a fourth-place finisher at the Beijing Olympic Games. He set a personal best time of 26:59.61 in Brussels, Belgium, two years ago and will look to fit in the big shoes of legendary Paul Tergat.

The 23-year-old Kipyego has won both silver and bronze medals for Kenya at the World Cross Country championships. Last year, he finished tenth in Edinburgh, Scotland, and ninth over the 5,000m distance in Stuttgart, Germany, during the World Athletics Final.

Kipyego however started the season on a high when he won the Berlin Half Marathon in 59:34 in his debut.

Lone candidate

Athletics Kenya chairman Isaiah Kiplagat said Linet Masai, the World Cross Country silver medallist, will remain the lone candidate in the women's race as second-placed Lineth Chepkurui has yet to clock the required qualifying time of 31:45.00.

"We will only take one woman to Berlin in 10,000m. She won the trials and I'm sorry the other two, Chepkurui and Philes Ongori, were too far behind. But should they run faster, we will be forced to include them," said Kiplagat.

Already, Chepkurui is targeting to run within the set time when she competes in United Kingdom next weekend. Kiplagat however noted that Ongori's chances are limited if the gap witnessed during the trials is anything to go by. Masai won the trials in 32:49.3 ahead of Chepkurui (32:57.3), while Japan-based Philes Ongori took 33:04.1 in third place.

"If someone runs within 30:00, then we will consider the case, but for now, we are comfortable with Masai as our sole representative," said Kiplagat.

He also announced that all elite athletes invited for the national team's training camp in Eldoret must report by July 5. Coaches will have two weeks to assess the athletes' fitness before the national trials on July 25 where the rest of the team will be picked.

"The camp will also enable the athletes who have already peaked to remain on top. But we must accept that many of our medallists in Bejing Olympics have been off-form but they have not run a lot to risk burning out. It is an issue the coaches have to look into," said Kiplagat.

Meanwhile, Kipkemei Soi and other sprinters can relax as they have been invited to Abuja for the Pan African athletics meeting where they have the best chance of qualifying for the Berlin track and field competition.

"I have received invitation from Abuja and the sprinters can brace themselves for it. We also want to enter a relay team and see if they can attain the time," said Kiplagat.

At the same time, the government has agreed to fund the 2010 Africa Athletics Championship. Kiplagat said AK secretary-general David Okeyo and his deputy, Ibrahim Hussein, have been asked to review the secretariat's requirements before the Cabinet endorses the deal on Thursday.