NAIROBI, June 20 (Xinhua) -- Veteran Kenyan athlete and former World 800m champion Janeth Jepkosgei has returned to competition for the first time in four years, eyeing a slot in the Kenya team to the Africa Games in Rabat, Morocco from August 23 to September 3.
Jepkosgei, 35, last competition was back in Beijing World Championships in 2015 before she took a sabbatical to have her first baby. She will compete in Nairobi this weekend in Athletics Kenya trials for Africa Games.
"After the birth, I had this strong bond with my daughter and it was hard to live her on her own as I ventured into training. But I need to return to competition and get the feeling of running competitively once more and there is no big stage than the Africa Games to do it," said Jepkosgei on Thursday in Nairobi.
It is exactly 13 years when Jepkosgei, who is nicknamed Eldoret Express, broke on the world stage and forced Maria Mutola of Mozambique off the road at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
She went on to win gold at the Osaka World Championships in 2007 and scooped silver at Beijing Olympics and Berlin World Championships.
Trained by coach Claudio Berardelli in Eldoret, Jepkosgei said she stepped up her preparations to regain fitness in January and would relish the challenge from the youngsters out to secure their tickets to the Africa Games.
She has been training with 2013 Moscow Championships 800m champion Eunice Sum.
"You never know what will happen," said Jepkosgei. Jepkosgei will however be running in the 1,500m race.
In the men's race World Junior 1500 champion George Manangoi won in the four lap race semis to qualify for African Games finals in Nairobi. He will face Africa Junior champion Vincent Keter.
World and Commonwealth 1,500m champion Elijah Manangoi and 2018 Diamond League Trophy Winner Timothy Cheruiyot will miss the action.
Top two finishing athletes in the final will qualify from their respective events to the Games with the panel of selectors deciding the third entry.
After the trials, Kenya will name 65 athletes to represent the country at the continental showpiece, where it hopes to improve on its five gold medal haul from the 2015 games in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo.
