ABDIRAHMAN OUT OF BOSTON MARATHON WITH FLU
By David Monti
(c) 2013 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved - Used with permission.

(10-Apr) -- Organizers of next Monday's Boston Marathon announced this morning that four-time USA Olympian Abdi Abdirahman had withdrawn from the race due to the flu.  This now leaves only two of the six 2012 American Olympic Marathon athletes --Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher-- originally signed by the race in a process which began more than one year ago.  The others withdrew from the race as follows:

Dec. 28, 2012: Desi Davila withdrew due to a "slow-healing femoral stress fracture of the right leg"
Mar. 13, 2013: Ryan Hall withdrew because he "missed crucial training due to a quadriceps strain."
Apr. 5, 2013: Meb Keflezighi pulled out due to "a persistent calf injury."
Apr. 10, 2013: Abdi Abdirahman dropped out due to the flu

Organizers also said that Ukraine's Tetiana Gamera-Shmyrko had also withdrawn due to illness.

The revised race field is as follows, according to John Hancock Financial which manages and funds the race's elite field, including personal best times:

MEN -
Lelisa Desisa, 2:04:45 (Dubai, 2013), Ethiopia
Gebre Gebremariam, 2:04:53 (Boston, 2011), Ethiopia
Markos Geneti, 2:04:54 (Dubai, 2012), Ethiopia
Levy Matebo, 2:05:16 (Frankfurt, 2011), Kenya
Dickson Chumba, 2:05:46 (Eindhoven, 2012) CR, Kenya
Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, 2:05:52 (Boston, 2010), Kenya
Wesley Korir, 2:06:13 (Chicago, 2012), Kenya
Raji Assefa, 2:06:24 (Paris, 2012), Ethiopia
Deriba Merga, 2:06:38 (London, 2006), Ethiopia
Jeffrey Hunt, 2:11:00 (Beppu, 2010), Australia
Jason Hartmann, 2:11:06 (Chicago, 2010), USA
Fernando Cabada, 2:11:53 (Houston, 2012), USA
Robin Watson, 2:13:37 (Rotterdam, 2012), Canada
Micah Kogo, Debut, Kenya

WOMEN -
Meseret Hailu Debele, 2:21:09 (Amsterdam, 2012) CR, Ethiopia
Tirfi Tsegaye Beyene, 2:21:19 (Berlin, 2012), Ethiopia
Mamitu Daska, 2:21:59 (Frankfurt, 2011), Ethiopia
Rita Jeptoo, 2:22:04 (Chicago, 2012), Kenya
Sharon Cherop, 2:22:39 (Dubai, 2012), Kenya
Madai Pérez, 2:22:59 (Chicago, 2006) NR, Mexico
Alemitu Abera Begna, 2:23:14 (Houston, 2012) CR, Ethiopia
Kara Goucher, 2:24:52 (Boston, 2011), USA
Shalane Flanagan, 2:25:38 (US Olympic Trials Houston, 2012) CR, USA
Ana Dulce Félix, 2:25:40 (NYC, 2011), Portugal
Yolanda Caballero, 2:26:17 (Boston, 2011), Colombia
Sabrina Mockenhaupt, 2:26:21 (Berlin, 2010), Germany
Diana Chepkemoi Sigei, 2:26:53 (Dubai, 2011), Kenya
Serena Burla, 2:28:27 (Seoul, 2012), USA
Stephanie Rothstein-Bruce, 2:29:35 (Houston, 2011), USA
René Kalmer, 2:29:50 (Yokohama, 2011), RSA
Diane Nukuri-Johnson, 2:30:13 (London, 2012) NR, Burundi
Alissa McKaig, 2:31:56 (Houston, 2012), USA

PHOTO: Abdi Abdirahman after finishing 15th at the 2013 NYC Half (photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)

ENDS