World 1500m champion Cheruiyot expresses joy at the return to Diamond competitions

Gold medallist, Kenya's Timothy Cheruiyot poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men's 1500m at the 2019 IAAF Athletics World Championships at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha on October 6, 2019. [Photo by MUSTAFA ABUMUNES / AFP]

Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot has expressed his joy ahead of the Diamond League return in Monaco.

The athletics track and field showpiece is set to resume on August 14 with the Diamond League meetings which were suspended due to Covid-19.

Cheruiyot pointed out the August showdown will be a tough one due to the many challenges brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.

"We have been out for long, we really don't know what is in store for us because we haven't competed for a long period, but I'm excited that we will be competing again," Cheruiyot told Xinhua.

The World 1500m and three-time Diamond League champion will be seeking revenge against Norwegians, Jakob and Filip Ingebrigsten, who beat the Kenyan and his team to win the virtual race at the Impossible Games held on June 11.

"I'm actually happy to line up against Ingebrigsten brothers, they have really become my friends and look forward to sharing the line up again with them," said Cheruiyot.

Kenya was omitted from the list of countries whose citizens are allowed to travel into Schengen states when the EU opened its borders on July 1 as coronavirus restrictions around the world continue easing.

Kenya's Timothy Cheruiyot celebrates after winning the Men's 1500m final at the 2019 IAAF Athletics World Championships in Doha. [Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP]

Rwanda was the only Eastern African nation included in the ‘safe list’ and other African countries were Tunisia and Morocco.

According to Cheruiyot's coach, Bernard Ouma, Kenya’s situation has already been sorted by the Kenyan Government.

Schengen Area is the zone instituted by 26 European countries which abolished their internal borders for free and unrestricted movement of people.

The countries are Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Lichtenstein are not members of the EU but are associate members of the Schengen Area.

Algeria's Taoufik Makhloufi congratulates Kenya's Timothy Cheruiyot after he won the Men's 1500m final at the 2019 IAAF Athletics World Championships in Doha on October 6, 2019. [Photo by ANDREJ ISAKOVIC / AFP]