{"comments":{"101621":{"pb_id":"4","pb_type":"members","likes":"0","parent_id":"0","pid":"101621","comment_id":"101621","member_id":"4","comment":"More from RRW<br \/>\n<br \/>\nWANJIRU OUT OF LONDON MARATHON<br \/>\n**Three-Time Champion Lel to Replace Him**<br \/>\nBy David Monti<br \/>\n&copy; 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission<br \/>\n<br \/>\nSamuel Wanjiru&#39;s woes --which recently included an arrest for threatening his wife and possessing an illegal weapon, and a car accident-- now include the loss of his spring marathon.  The reigning Olympic and World Marathon Majors champion has been forced to withdraw from next month&#39;s Virgin London Marathon with a knee injury, organizers said today.<br \/>\n<br \/>\n&quot;I am bitterly disappointed not to be able to race in London this year,&quot; Wanjiru, 24, said through a news release.  &quot;Winning the London Marathon in 2009 was one of the great achievements of my career and I was hoping to become the London champion again.&quot;  He continued: &quot;But I have been suffering some problems with my right knee recently which meant I had to withdraw from the Lisbon Half-Marathon (last Sunday).  Unfortunately, it has not responded well enough for me to make my final preparations for London.&quot;<br \/>\n<br \/>\nAfter winning last October&#39;s Bank of America Chicago Marathon in a thrilling sprint finish over Ethiopian Tesgaye Kebede, Wanjiru has faced several difficulties.  Last December, he was arrested at his home in Nyahururu and charged with threatening his wife, striking a security guard, and possessing an illegal AK-47 rifle.  Wanjiru was released on bail, and his wife later withdrew her charges against him (he still faces the weapons charge, however).  Wanjiru was also involved in a car accident last January on the Nairobi-Nyahururu road, rolling his four wheel drive vehicle several times trying to avoid an oncoming truck.<br \/>\n<br \/>\nActing quickly, London race director Dave Bedford has added three-time London champion Martin Lel to the field (both athletes are represented by Federico Rosa of Brescia, Italy).  Lel, 32, who has a 2:05:15 personal best, won the London race in 2005, 2007 and 2008.  Struggling with his own injury problems, Lel hasn&#39;t run a marathon since finishing fourth at the Olympic Games in 2008.  He has, however, completed several half-marathons, winning both the 2009 Lisbon and Great North Half-Marathons and breaking one hour in both events.<br \/>\n<br \/>\n&quot;Of course, we are very sad to lose the Olympic champion from our line-up as Sammy was a great champion here two years ago,&quot; Bedford said in a statement.  &quot;We wish him a speedy recovery from his injury problems.&quot;<br \/>\n<br \/>\nThe 31st edition of the Virgin London Marathon will be held on Sunday, April 17.  A history of the event&#39;s winners can be accessed at the web site of the Association of Road Racing Statisticians at <a href='http:\/\/www.arrs.net\/HP_LonMa.htm.' class='bbc_url' title='External link' rel='nofollow external'>http:\/\/www.arrs.net\/HP_LonMa.htm.<\/a><br \/>\n<br \/>\nENDS","date_added":"Mar 28th 2011, 3:28pm","nest":0,"liked":false,"member":{"wally_id":"31","email_settings":"127","email":"ross@teamxo.com","address":"ross","gender":"m","member_id":"4","member_name":"ross","avatar_location":"av-4.jpg","avatar_type":"upload","avatar":"\/\/www.runnerspace.com\/forum\/uploads\/av-4.jpg"},"can_delete":false,"item_id":17318,"item_type":"news","pb_image":"\/\/www.runnerspace.com\/forum\/uploads\/av-4.jpg","pb_title":"ross","pb_url":"profile.php?member_id=4","pb_url_dns":"https:\/\/ross.runnerspace.com\/","pb_wally_id":"31"}},"last_id":"101621","url":"comments.php?item_type=news&item_id=17318&item_url=eprofile.php?event_id=2858"}