体坛英语新闻：Kenya's Keitany eyes ascendancy after face-saving NY victory

NAIROBI, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Mary Keitany, Kenya's two-time London winner is still basking in the glow of her resolute New York conquest last Sunday that served both as a moving personal triumph on her comeback.

The New York victory saved face for elite marathon running still reeling from compatriot and fellow female highflyer Rita Jeptoo's failed A-sample test for EPO.

It was the friendly athletes' perfect answer to a waiting world on her ability to storm back to the high table of World Marathon Majors after missing the entire 2013 to welcome her second born Samatha and above all, it ended her Big Apple title heartache at her third time of asking.

Keitany's 2:25:07 victory in extremely windy and cold conditions will not be remembered for blistering times she's reputed for, but for being gladly welcomed with open arms by athletics purists worldwide for two reasons.

It was her first race over the meanest 42.195km distance since finishing fourth at London 2012 Olympics where she was expected to strike gold in a redeeming act for her embellished reputation after electing to take a maternal break, a truly heart-warming story that sprinkled human touch in a fiercely competed sport.

Coming against the gloomy backdrop of Jeptoo's doping stunner that sparked international outrage, casting aspersions on a nation with a strong distance running heritage, Keitany spared the sport further unwelcome scrutiny when she edged Jemimah Sumgong for the crown by three seconds, tying for the closest finish to a women's race in New York in history following 2004 when another Kenyan, Susan Chepkemei lost out to Britain's great Paula Radcliffe by the same wafer thin margin.

Sumgong is a training partner of Jeptoo at Rosa Associati management camp in Kenya with the two sharing Italian coach, Claudio Berardelli, who alongside his boss and agent Federico Rosa, were quick to disassociate links with the provisionally suspended star.

A New York victory for Sumgong would have kicked-off a fresh damning inquest notably in Western media that is want to question booming performances by Kenyan runners as much as they celebrate their feats.

Having learned of the scandalous development moments ahead of her pre-race press conference dominated by Jeptoo's failed drug test, Keitany, 32, did not hide her disdain upon returning home, calling for stern action against doping by an Athletics Kenya (AK) accused of leniency in tackling the matter.

"Victory came as the country's athletics program is under scrutiny. The women's field received a jolt Friday with the news that Rita Jeptoo of Kenya, the winner of the 2013 and 2014 Boston and Chicago Marathons, tested positive for a banned substance in an A sample.

The triumph was even sweeter when her well calculated breakaway four miles when the course had turned away from wind rendered Firehiwot (sixth) and Kiplagat (13th) non-contenders setting up the titanic combat with Sumgong whom after initially trailing by a few paces in the last mile, summoned all reserves from her superior speed to finally prevail.

Keitany has trained her gaze at becoming the first woman since local idol Radcliffe to notch a London hat-trick and the fourth in race history following pioneering three-peat champions Norway's Ingrid Kristiansen and German Katrin Drre-Heinig.

"I'm now fully back and my body is responding well and I thank my family for enabling me to prepare well. After resting since the conditions were bad, I can focus to train for the London marathon in April and get back my title."

For now, it's all about toasting the New York victory that provided the desired headlines for a country that needed a quick lift from the distressing Jeptoo saga by salvaging the reputation of the nation and sport.