Jelimo cancels trips to indoor meetings

By Mutwiri Mutuota

The Birmingham and Prague Indoor meetings will miss one of their star attractions in the form of Olympic 800m women champion, Pamela Jelimo, who has pulled out of this season’s closed circuit racing.

Jelimo was expected to make her indoor racing debut at Friday’s Avica Grand Prix in Birmingham, England, before competing at the new International Meeting in the Czech capital six days later on February 26, where it was billed she would attack the 1,000m women’s indoor record.

"I compared my form at this time and the same period last year and realised I am not in the best shape to compete indoors. I also had a small problem with my foot though that has healed now but there was no need to strain myself," Jelimo, who won the Beijing two-lap gold in 1:54.87, told FeverPitch on phone from her training base in Kapsabet. "I want to give myself time to recover fully in the course of the season so that I can be in top form for the World Championships in Berlin and outdoor campaign. There is still enough for me to compete indoors," the 19-year-old added signalling her intentions to add the global title to her Olympic triumph.

Jelimo returned last Friday to the country from a month-long training stint for the indoor campaign in Belgium where she suffered a slight Achilles strain.

Tight corners

"We evaluated the development and advised against her participation in the indoor circuit that has a raised track and very tight corners. There was every chance that her slight Achilles injury would have been aggravated," Golazo who represents Jelimo said in a statement released by their head in Africa, Barnaba Korir.

"It is our intention to play it safe with her especially with the World Championships to look forward to," Korir disclosed.

In her 800m debut year last season, Jelimo won everything there was to offer in the distance beginning with the African crown in Addis Ababa (1:58.70), the Olympic title and World Athletics Final (1:56.23, Championship record) gold but her crowning achievement was becoming only the third athlete to clinch the $1m (Sh79) IAAF Golden League jackpot after scorching the fields all six series meetings in Berlin, Oslo, Rome, Paris, Zurich and Brussels.

Personal best

In Zurich, she ran her personal best of 1:54.01 that stands as the World junior record and the third fastest time ever in the distance behind Nadezhda Olizarenko (1:53.43) and the world record of Jarmila KratochvÌlov· (1:53.28).

Jelimo is expected to begin her quest for the world title in late April or early May.

She was undefeated in all races she took part in last year culminating in the Olympic gold at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing.

She has not taken part in any competitive race since winning the World Athletics Final in Stuttgart in September where she was presented with the Sh79m Golden Jackpot prize.

 

 

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