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Lorraine DelliCarpini
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Khalid Khannouchi Withdraws From NYC Half-Marathon Presented by NIKE
Jason Hartmann, Karl Dusen to also miss race on Sunday, August 5
New York, July 31, 2007—A hurting former marathon world record-holder,
Khalid Khannouchi of the United States, withdrew from the NYC Half-Marathon
Presented by NIKE on Sunday, August 5, it was announced by New York Road
Runners president and CEO Mary Wittenberg.
"It's not an injury. He has a mechanical problem," Sandra Khannouchi,
Khalid's wife, coach, and manager told New York Road Runners officials.
"His foot lands flat, and he has a burning sensation [in the ball of his
right foot]."
Khannouchi planned on leaving for Barcelona immediately to see Dr. Eduardo
Sanches Osorio, a podiatrist who specializes in the construction of
specialty orthotics. He remains optimistic that he will be healthy and
ready to race at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Men's Marathon, also
here in New York City, on Saturday, November 3.
"We want to make the Olympic Trials really badly," said Sandra Khannouchi.
"The Olympic marathon is very important [to Khalid]."
The NYC Half-Marathon men's field is still expected to be the strongest
ever assembled in the United States led by running legend Haile
Gebrselassie of Ethiopia, in his New York City debut, reigning Boston and
LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot of Kenya
and American Olympians Abdi Abdirahman and Alan Culpepper.
Additional athletes who have withdrawn from Sunday's race include Americans
Jason Hartmann and local New York favorite Karl Dusen. Hartmann cited
fatigue following last week's Pan American Games, in which he raced the
10,000 meters, while Dusen is out due to a torn calf muscle.
|
By
the Numbers (Updated)
The 2007 NYC Half-Marathon Presented
by NIKE will feature:
|
|
Two men who
have won four of the current 2006-07 World
Marathon Majors Series races between them |
|
Two current or former world
record-holders |
|
Three World Championships
individual medalists |
|
Three men who
have broken one hour for the half-marathon and one who has broken 59
minutes |
|
Six Olympians
|
|
Seven national
record-holders |
|
Ten 2008 U.S. Olympic Team
Trials marathon qualifiers |
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|
