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Marathon favourite pulls out
Athens - Kenya's Sammmy Korir has withdrawn from the men's marathon at the Olympic Games due to injury.
Korir is the second fastest man of all-time over the classic distance, when he finished one second behind his compatriot Paul Tergat in the 2003 Berlin Marathon, the race when Tergat set the current world record of 2hr 04min 55sec.
"I feel very disappointed," said Korir on Wednesday after returning to Kenya. "This would have been the best time for me to win a medal in the Olympics. It was important for me."
Korir said he had torn a leg muscle in the culmination of a string of unfortunate incidents this year which began in the London marathon.
"I badly hurt my back when I collided with Felix Rutto in the last lap of the London marathon in April," he said.
He was second in the London race and has won seven of his 16 marathons.
Korir was considered a medal prospect because of his consistency.
Despite their incredible depth of marathon running talent, Kenya will only have two men on the starting line of the men's race on August 29 - Tergat and Sydney Olympics silver medalist Eric Wainaina.
In an administrative blunder, Kenya failed to name a reserve for the event.
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