Cheruiyot, Masai to skip Africa X-country

By CHRIS MUSUMBA

Double world 5,000 and 10,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot and Linet Masai will not be taking part in the Africa cross country championships in Cape Town, South Africa in March.

Instead, the two long distance runners will consolidate their efforts on winning gold at the London Olympics in August. Both will be part of the international community that will be gracing Sunday’s IAAF Permit cross country meeting in Seville.

"Linet will not be running in Nairobi on Saturday (today). She has travelled to Spain together with Vivian Cheruiyot. The two will be running at the Cross Internacional de Italica race in Seville," said Moses Masai who is running in today’s Kenya Police cross country championships.

Cheruiyot, who won the Boclassic Silvesterlauf run in Bolzano Italy on the New Year’s Eve made it clear she will not compete at both the Africa cross country championships and the World indoor Championships. The Africa cross country championships will be held in Cape Town, South Africa on March 18 and Kenya are the defending champions after ruling the roost last year winning all the medals on offer.

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"I will just be concentrating on the Olympics. It is the biggest sporting event and I have not got any medal from it. So my focus in 2012 will be to win a gold medal in London. I will not run at the Africa cross country championships," she said.

The world 5,000m and 10,000m champion however said the decision on weather she will double up in the two disciplines will be made later in the season.

"What I know is that I am keen to win a medal in London, which race? I do not know."