World title holder Asbel Kiprop thirsts for a second bite at the cherry at IAAF World Championships

BY JONATHAN KOMEN

World 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop is under pressure to defend his title at the 14th IAAF World Championships in Moscow, next month.

Asbel, who posted the 3:27.72 world’s fourth fastest run of all time in Monaco last weekend, has fired warning shots to his potential rivals ahead of contests at the Russia’s Luzhniki Sports Complex.

 “I have no injury and hope it will go this way. We will work as a team to defend title and hopefully it will not be like Olympics. Our primary objective is to make it to the final and, if four Kenyans will be in the final, it will be easier,” Asbel told FeverPitch at Moi Sports Centre Kasarani on Thursday.

Asbel will team up with Silas Kiplagat (3:33.7), Nixon Kiplimo Chepseba (3:33.9) and Bethwel Birgen, who boast a 3:30.77 mark he posted in Monaco last week.

The quartet will be up against Tunisians Ilhami Tanui Ozbilen (3:31.30) and Zakaria Mazouzi (3:31.94) in the Russian capital.

Ethiopian duo of Mekonnen Gebremedhin (3:32.43) and Aman Wote (3:32.65) could also be in contention.

Asbel, who comes from Kaptinga Village in Uasin Gishu County, was categorical that his feat in Monaco Diamond meet last year did not cost him the medal at the Olympics.

“I picked an hamstring injury in Nairobi before I left to London for the Olympics. The problem was not competing in Monaco,” said Kiprop.

Asbel stands among Kenya’s 1,500m greats in the world, who have recorded impressive performances in 1,500m at the Olympics. They include Kipchoge Keino, in Mexico in 1968, Peter Rono (Seoul, Korea, 1988) and Noah Ng’eny (Sydney, Australia, 2000).

He is confident that his shape is coming about nicely after spending most of the latter end of last season recovering from the injury that saw him scoop the wooden spoon in London, a shocking outcome for a titleholder.

“I was comfortable in Doha, In Shanghai I won, but in Eugene, I was a bit tired and Silas Kiplagat (the world silver medalist over the distance) managed to win,” he said.

He has Diamond League wins in Doha (3:31.13), Shanghai (3:32.39) in 1,500m before losing it out to Silas Kiplagat at the Pre Fontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon where he clocked 3:49.53 to finish second.

Asbel, who won Kenya’s first 1,500m gold medal at the 2011 Daegu Worlds, returned to Monaco meet and posted a new all-time best.

“The Monaco track is very good. My 1,500m colleagues Silas Kiplagat and Nixon Chepseba; all posted their personal bests in Monaco. It’s even good that the meet came on July 19, a little further from the world championships. I also wanted to gauge my speed there,” he said.

“We need to be well-prepared in Moscow to counter athletes from Burundi and Algeria, who have befitted from IAAF’s regional development centres in Africa,” he added.