体坛英语新闻：Kenya's Wanyoike set to retire after London Paralympic Games

By Kimathi Kamau

NAIROBI, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Triple Paralympics gold medallist Henry Wanyoike disclosed on Friday that the London 2012 Games that start on August 29 would mark his last appearance at the event.

Wanyoike, who won the 5,000m gold at the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympics as well as adding the 10,000m crown in the latter, will compete in the 12 and a half-lap and full marathon races in London.

"I'm happy to have three world records and this Paralympics will be my last so that I may turn my focus now to marathons and charity races to give hope for those who cannot see," said Wanyoike, the blind runner who has been appointed as one of the ambassadors for London 2012 Paralympics Games.

"So far, my training is good and I did the Dubai Marathon and Hong Kong Half and I have one more marathon to do in May before the Paralympics and I'm well prepared. I'm not under any pressure to perform," he added.

Wanyoike is set to travel to London in the next fortnight to shoot the promotional video that will be circulated worldwide to support the Paralympics Games.

The runner, who holds the world marathon record for blind runners with his 2:31:31 effort at the 2005 Hamburg Marathon, was speaking during a fete where the British High Commission in Kenya presented six wheelchairs to the country's wheelchair basketball teams.

Peter Tibber, the British High Commissioner, said the gesture was part of activities to launch the 200 days to the Paralympics countdown that will be observed on Saturday.

"We have got around 4,200 athletes participating in 20 events and the Olympics and Paralympics in London will be a huge party for the competitors, spectators and the whole world and we are looking forward to it," said Tibber.