MIKITENKO WILL NOT CHASE WMM TITLE IN NEW YORK - rrw
By David Monti
(c) 2008 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - used with permission

In a surprising development, newly crowned real,- Berlin Marathon champion Irina Mikitenko said she would not attempt to win the 2007/2008 World Marathon Majors series title and the attendant USD 500,000 award by competing in the ING New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 2.  The three-time Olympian is currently tied with Ethiopian Gete Wami for the series lead with 65 points, and Wami's participation in New York has already been announced.

"Money isn't everything," said Mikitenko at a press conference in Berlin today.  "I've already done very well, winning London and Berlin.  If you're in a sport at this level, you need goals and targets, and my goal is next year's World Championships marathon here in Berlin.  The most important thing is to win.  If you win, money follows."

It is still possible, however, that Mikitenko could still win the WMM title (or a share of it) without competing in New York.  That's because Wami can only score points in New York should she finish first or second (she's already scored in the allowable maximum of four events and only the best four results count).  Should Mikitenko and Wami be tied on points after New York, WMM rules state that head-to-head results would break the tie.  However, they are also tied in this regard with one victory each (Wami beat Mikitenko in Berlin in 2007 but Mikitenko beat Wami in London in 2008).  If this were the series outcome, the race directors of the marathons in Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London and New York would have to decide how to crown the 2007/2008 women's series champion.

It is still possible for two other women to win the 2007/2008 WMM title: Zhou Chunxiu of China and Catherine Ndereba of Kenya.  Zhou has scored 50 points in three races while Ndereba has scored 41 points, also in three races.  Neither athlete has been announced for a fall marathon, but Ndereba is expected to compete in New York according to Richard Finn, the ING New York City Marathon's media director.  If Ndereba wins New York and Wami finishes lower than second, Ndereba would win the series with 66 points to Wami's 65.

In the 2008/2009 series Mikitenko is the leader with 50 points, twice the total of Dire Tune (ETH) and Constantina Dita (ROU) who are tied for second with 25 points.

ENDS