BRIMIN BRIMMING WITH CONFIDENCE: Kipruto eyes glory at World Championships

Kenyan Brimin Kiprop Kipruto celebrates after winning the Men 3000M Steeple event at the Memorial Ivo Van Damme Diamond League meeting, at the King Baudouin stadium (Boudewijnstadion/ Stade Roi Baudouin) in Brussels, on September 7, 2012. AFP PHOTO

For all his efforts in the 14 years he has competed in 3,000m steeplechase race, Brimin Kipruto has never felt the pressure so much to deliver a medal like will be the case at the Beijing World Championships, which starts on August 22.

At 30, Kipruto seems to have been ever present on the track in the water and barrier event, yet he still has the hunger to deliver the medal in Beijing on his return to the city that saw him strike his first Olympic gold back in 2008.

“I feel motivated going back to Beijing and though I have been around for long, so has my colleague and World Champion Ezekiel Kemboi,” he said in a telephone interview.

“The allure of winning gold for Kenya and competing for my country will always inspire me and I want to show the world that I still have my speed and running tactics in place.”

Kipruto holds a personal best of 7:53.64, which he set in Monaco back in 2011, which is the second fastest time ever run, and is still the African record. His record was only .01 of a second behind the world record of former county mate Saif Saaeed Shaheen (7:53.63) now running for Qatar.

“I was close but that was then. Now it is about winning and not records. There are so many people entered in this race capable of winning and I must be at my best form to be able to challenge for the medals,” he said.

Kipruto has been to four world championships winning gold in Osaka (2007), silver in Daegu 2011 and bronze at the Helsinki 2005. He was a distant seventh at the Berlin World Championships.

He has also been to three Olympic Games – Athens (2004) where he won silver behind Kemboi, won gold in Beijing 2008 in a race Kemboi finished seventh and was fifth at the London Games in 2012.

It was a rich history and a good collection by all standards for all the medals that were available in a span of 11 years. But a tendon injury and a recurring ankle problem affected Kipruto as he was unable to sparkle ahead of the Moscow World Championships. But he has returned to his best form and wants medals in Beijing.

“I know there are younger athletes emerging and we have to respect them and learn to accept they might be faster than us. But it will be a struggle. Jairus Birech and Conseslus Kipruto are good and so is Kemboi, but I will not let it go without a fight,” he said.

Indeed Kipruto noted that winning a slot in the Kenya team at the explosive trials was harder than competing at the World Championships.

“However, it does not mean now that I have the qualification and ticket to the World Championships, I will take my foot off the accelerator.

“It is business as usual and may the best athlete win,” he said.

He also predicted a 1-2-3-4 sweep for Kenya despite strong challenge from Ethiopian and French athletes.

“I do not know who I will run against, but the Kenya team is the strongest and unless there is an injury, then a clean sweep is inevitable,” he said.