Kiplagat keen to improve on her time in London

By Gilbert Wandera

Berlin marathon champion Florence Kiplagat says she wants to improve on her personal best time at the London Marathon later this month as well as earn a place in the final team for the Olympic Games.

The 24-year-old clocked 2:19:14 to win in Berlin last year and believes she can bring it down even further.

Her current time was the second fastest in the world last year. "I am prepared for London and my determination is to lower my personal best time. I am not worried on who is going to compete, but I am focusing on my race," she said.

Kiplagat said she has set her eyes on making the final team for the Olympics and remains confident of being selected.

"It is my great hope that after London, I will have done enough to make the final team," she said.

She is among the six women marathoners who have been named in the provisional team for the London games.

Apart from Kiplagat, Emmanuel Mutai the current London Marathon champion also expects to do well as time ticks towards the end of the month when the final marathon team will be named.

Athletics Kenya will name the final marathon team for both men and women at the end of this month.

Mutai, who in 2011 won in London said on Tuesday he expects to successfully defend his title, which may earn him a place in the final Kenyan team, but admits that it will not be easy.

"My training has been satisfactory so far and I am planning to leave for London in the next two weeks where hopefully I will do well," he said.

Mutai was, however, non-committal on the chances of local athletes in the London Olympics pointing out that it will depend on who makes the team.

"It is difficult to predict now how it will go. That can only be clear once the final team is named then we can say for sure what our chances will be," he said.

Mutai will face stiff challenge from the likes of Patrick Makau in the London race.