Kenya's Cheruiyot drops quest to double at the Athletics worlds

Olympic 5,000m silver medalist Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya has dropped her ambition to double up at the World Championships, which starts from August 22-30 in Beijing.

The 33-year-old instead will focus on the 10,000m race as she continues her rehabilitation on return from motherhood.

"I will only race in 10,000m," Cheruiyot said Saturday in Nairobi. "I' m not in the same fitness level I was in back in 2011 where I contested for the double in Daegu and won both 10,000m and 5,000m races," she said.

The diminutive athlete, however, confirmed that the 2016 Rio Olympics will be her last show on the track and she wants to shift gears to marathon.

"I still want that Olympic gold medal and Rio will be my last stop," she said. "I ran in Athens, Beijing and London and it will be a big statement for me to compete in my fourth Olympics and go on to win."

Cheruiyot, however, has put her opponents on the notice that she will be going to Beijing to reclaim what she believes is hers, the gold medal in 10,000m race.

"I do not care who we will be running against in Beijing. The most important thing is for me to do my part and win gold. I know Tirunesh Dibaba, might not be there, but it will not be about her. This is the world championships and I will deliver the gold medal," she said.

Cheruiyot will team up with U.S.-based Betsy Saina in the 10,000m race and hopes it will be a sweep for Kenya. Endi