Marathoner to run under Olympic flag

LONDON, July 22 (UPI) -- The International Olympic Committee's Executive Board said Saturday marathon runner Guor Marial can compete in the London Games under the Olympic flag.

Olympic officials said in a release posted on the IOC Web site that Marial, who does not hold a passport from any country, will be allowed to run as an independent athlete.

Marial was born in 1984 or 1985 in what is now South Sudan, which last year gained its independence from Sudan and does not have a recognized national Olympic committee. When he was 8, he moved to the United States, where he is a permanent resident but is not a citizen. Consequently, he is unable to compete for the United States, South Sudan or Sudan.

The 2011 graduate of Iowa State University qualified for the London Games with an A Standard time last October.