TRIPLE Olympic gold medal winner Kenenisa Bekele said he was bitterly disappointed to be left out of Ethiopia’s team for the Rio Olympics and blamed members of the country’s athletics federation who he said knew nothing about the sport.

    “I’m deeply disappointed and sad. I have long overcome my Achilles tendon injury and I was ready for the challenge,” the 34-year-old told French sports daily L’Equipe on Wednesday.

    The 5,000m and 10,000m world record holder was left out of the marathon team having not run enough big races over the past year.

    “The federation set a criteria they knew very well would rule me out,” he added.

    “I finished third in the London Marathon (in April) when I was far from 100 percent fit. I’d done my preparation in full. Everyone knows that London is the toughest marathon except the people from the federation.

    “According to their criteria I’m only 7th in the selection list ... they have not considered that my performances have been no worse than those who have been selected.”

    The Ethiopian Athletics Federation has picked 2016 Tokyo Marathon winner Feyisa Lilesa and 2015 Boston champion Lelisa Desisa as well as Lemi Berhanu and Tesfaye Abera for the marathon in Rio.

    (SD-Agencies)