NAIROBI, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Olympic 3,000m steeplechase champion Consensus Kipruto said he will be ready whenever the health situation allows resumption of sports competition.
Kipruto, who endured a torrid 2019 season, which left him with doldrums as he nursed a stress reaction in the talus bone in his foot, wants to return to action strongly and has been keeping a strict routine in training, albeit in isolation in Mosoriot.
"We have lost a lot this season, but I have to exploit the few competitions remaining. The Diamond League and Continental Tour meetings start in two months and I need to be ready. However, I have to maintain my social distance and follow government guidelines to avoid contracting Covid-19," Kipruto said on Tuesday in Nandi.
Kipruto wants to avoid a repeat of last season, which saw him struggle, not to win races, but just to compete. "I had a lot of stress, a lot of worries," Kipruto said about last season.
Kipruto, who is also the Commonwealth Games champion in the water and hurdles race, had doubts about his preparations, but ultimately, his tactics was vindicated when he won gold at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar.
He lauded his coach Japter Keter for the success, saying he changed the focus of his training.
But now he faces a new challenge to remain safe and healthy and be in top shape ahead of the start of the delayed athletics season in 2020, which draws its curtains with the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Turku, Finland on Aug. 11.
Kenya's athletics head coach Julius Kirwa, has asked elite runners to continue training in whatever condition they are so as to avoid injuries and taking long time to hit their peak whenever the government lifts bans on training camps.
"We already know when the Diamond League calendar starts. We also have the Continental Tour which offers athletes more platform to compete and get compensation for the time lost. They should plan accordingly and be ready to compete when the world allows competition to resume. But for now, they need to train cautiously because of Covid-19," said Kirwa. Enditem
