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Kenya's Cherono, Chebet ready for Seville cross country

Xinhua, January 14, 2015 Adjust font size:

World Cross Country Champions Emily Chebet and Mercy Cherono of Kenya will be the athletes to beat during this Sunday's Seville Cross country race in Spain.

Cherono, who is the race defending champion, which is part of the IAAF permit meeting, will do everything to retain the title and boost her confidence ahead of the Kenyan trials in February in Nairobi for the World Cross Country Championships.

The global championships will be held in Guiyang, China on March 28.

"I have had mixed results this season and am yet to hit top form. I will try my level best to win the race. But the competition is also stiff," said Cherono.

The 21-year-old, recently finished fifth in a Kenyan cross country meeting in Sotik, losing to Commonwealth Games 1,500m champion Faith Chepng'etich with Emily Chebet finishing sixth.

"The course in Sotik was hilly and slopes. I had just returned from Europe and the weather change took toll on me. But as I return to Spain in my last race before the trials to select Kenya team, I believe I will be able to shake off the fatigue and win," Cherono said.

Cherono together with Chebet will delay their departure to Seville in order to grace the 2014 Sports Personality of the Year Award (Soya), which seeks to reward exemplary performances from Kenyans sports people.

"I will leave on Friday and arrive in Seville on Saturday night. It will be enough time for me to run on Sunday though," said Cherono.

On her part, Emily Chebet believes, her injury (knee) is over and she is ready to reclaim the global title, which she last won in Poland in 2010.

"The big challenge is to make the Kenya team. Then after we will see how we can scheme to win in Guiyang. I believe Ethiopia and Chinese athletes will be hard to beat. But that is not for today, making the team is the hardest hurdle so far," said Chebet.

Meanwhile, steeplechaser Conseslus Kipruto, said he was leaving no stone unturned in his quest to win the World Cross Country championships in Guiyang, China.

"I don't expect an easy competition as I will be racing against my senior counterparts," Kipruto said.

Kipruto is set to compete in the 24th edition of the Discovery Kenya Cross Country set for Eldoret on Jan. 25.

He said this would give pointers on what to expect ahead of the Guiyang World Cross Country in China. Endite