World champ Cheruiyot dreams of doubling up at Rio Olympics

World 10,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot says she will make another double attempt at this year's Rio Olympics games.

Cheruiyot achieved double glory in the South Korean city of Deagu back in 2011 winning 10,000m and 5,000m races but failed to repeat the same feat at the London Games in 2012 to settle for silver (5,000m) and bronze (10,000m).

But speaking on Monday in Eldoret, Cheruiyot said she wants to prove her critics wrong in Rio and has started preparations to double up in the Olympics.

"I feel strong and focused on the task ahead, which is to double in the two races. I have the strength and stamina to weather the storm and win," she said.

In London Tirunesh Dibaba and Sally Kipyego (10,000m) and Meseret Defer (5,000m) denied her gold, but she believes in 2016 she will get her revenge and get the only medal missing in her illustrious career, an Olympic gold medal.

"I can do it," she said. "It is possible to win in Rio if all goes well in training and I get the support of my colleagues. But that is dependent on the coaches and Athletics Kenya agreeing to enter me in to events."

Head coach Julius Kirwa, however, has played down the prospects of Cheruiyot doubling, saying it will not be possible because the events are challenging and it will drain her completely.

However, the two events are well split with 10,000m final coming on first day (August 12) while 5,000m round one is four days later and finals are set for August 19 2015.

The 31-year-old bypassed the defence of her global 5,000m and 10,000m titles in Moscow three years ago to give birth to a son, Allan Kiprono, in October 2013.

Having returned to training in June 2014, Cheruiyot and her husband and coach Moses Kiplagat made the decision not to bid for a place on the Kenyan team going to the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang, China, back in March and instead focus their attention on competing in the longer event in Beijing. She was repaid by reclaiming gold and now she wants to double her glory in Rio by competing in both events.

"My shape is improving every day and I know I have the capacity to hold out any challenge," she added.

Cheruiyot became the second athlete, after Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba, to win multiple medals in the women's 10,000m at the World Championships.

Her coach Moses Kiplagat believes that their loss in London will be repaid in Rio in 2016.

Kenya plans to send over 50 track and field athletes to Rio, hoping to improve on their last medal haul attained in London of 11 medals (2 gold, 4 silver, and 5 bronze), being the most successful African country in the Olympic Games. Endi