Off the wire
• Xinhua Insight: Chinese market still attractive to foreign investors  • Indian army carries out operation against militants along India-Myanmar border  • Singapore surges past 50 golds at SEA Games  • Football Federation of Australia pays AUD$500,000 to Warner's CONCACAF  • Philippine unemployment rate down to 6.4 pct in April  • China Focus: China debates special education for gifted children  • Chinese premier meets Angolan president  • S.Africa launches search for lion after it breaks out of park  • 41 militants give up fighting in E. Afghanistan  • Roundup: Murayama, Kono teach PM Abe over historical issues, criticizing brutality on security bills  
You are here: 　 Home

Kipsang ready for Beijing marathon win at World Championships

Xinhua, June 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

Uganda's Stephen Kiprotich will put his title on the line at the World Championships in Beijing in August and his training mate Wilson Kipsang of Kenya is ready to stake claim to it.

Kipsang, 33, wants to improve from his bronze medal at the London Olympics to gold in Beijing and is ready to do everything to see that he wins in August.

"I am very proud to be a part of the preliminary selection for the upcoming World Championships," Kipsang said on Tuesday from Eldoret.

"I have never represented my country at a World Championships before, so I am very excited. The preliminary selection consists out of six athletes and only three of us will go to Beijing," he added.

Kipsang will be one of the star names that Kenya will bank on for the medal in Beijing. He recently won silver in London Marathon and is the reigning New York Marathon champion.

Now he needs to add the world marathon championship title to his collection in August before he leaves the stage to younger athletes.

"If I make the final selection, I will try to reclaim the men's world marathon title for Kenya in Beijing from Uganda's Stephen Kiprotich," he said. "The Kenyan men and women selection is very strong this year with some of the fastest runners on the marathon distance, including my running mate and world marathon record holder Dennis Kimetto (2:02.57)."

The marathon for men will be on Aug. 22 and for women on Aug. 30. Alongside Kipsang and Kimetto, the Kenya team has Mark Korir, Felix Kiprotich, Lucas Rotich and Luka Kanda. All have run under two hours and six minutes.

Kipsang is the only man in history to win at London, Berlin and New York marathons. He is a two-time winner of the London Marathon setting a course record of 2:04:29 in 2014.

One of the strong favorites at the London Olympics, Kipsang opened up a 20-second lead in the first half before finishing third. His 14:11 split between 10km and 15 km was the fastest ever in Olympic competition. Endi