Visa b**w for Reynold Kipkorir
After failing to secure a visa to Glasgow, Scotland for the World Indoor Championships, World Under-20 1500 champion Reynold Kipkorir has now set his eyes firmly on the KipKeino Classic and Olympic trials.
“I have decided to only concentrate on the outdoor track season and eye an Olympic team slot,” Kipkorir told PeopleSport in Nyahururu yesterday.
The 1500m athlete who was set to make his Indoor competition debut at the Scottish city said he does not regret missing out on the World Indoor Championships since it gives him a reason to revitalize his training for the outdoor season.
He further said he will not seek a team place in the World Cross Country competition this year.
Kipkorir received the message to travel to the embassy for the visa application late and could not make it to Nairobi in time.
His coach, Jacob Langat said they tried to rush to Nairobi but learnt the embassy had been closed for the day “while we were around the Limuru area on our way to Nairobi,” he said.
Jacob said they have lined-up the races Kipkorir will participate in leading to the Olympic trials in Nairobi. The coach said his protégé will run 2km at the National Cross Country championships before participating in 1500m in the Kip Keino Classic, Nairobi.
Later Kipkorir will race in 3000m in Doha, and 1500m in Los Angel and Eugene before coming back home to tune up for the national Olympic trials, the coach said.
But as Kipkorir will not travel to Glasgow, another Nyahururu based athlete, Teresiah Muthoni Gateri is raring to go to the Indoor Championships where she hopes to win her senior world championship medal to add to the 2021 3000m World Under-20 gold in her cabinet.
“I know the competition (in Glasgow) will be tight but I am equal to the task,” Muthoni, who is based in Japan said after doing speed work at the Nyahururu stadium yesterday.
She made her indoor debut last year where she took part in several races in Birmingham and Poland.
Kipkorir and Muthoni were among 11 athletes named for the Glasgow fete by Athletics Kenya on February 8, this year.
