Kenya's Aprot to skip World Indoor Championship in Birmingham

By John Kwoba

NAIROBI, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- World Cross Country silver medalist Alice Aprot of Kenya has ruled out competing at the World Indoor championships in Birmingham, England in March.

Aprot, who has pitched camp to train and compete in winter conditions, said on Wednesday that she is only keen to boost her endurance as she targets to compete at higher level during the outdoor season with her focus being the IAAF Diamond League and the Commonwealth Games.

"I have plans to compete at the highest level in 2018 and that does not include competing at the World Indoor Championships. I target track competition in 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, next April," she said in a telephone interview.

With the graduation of Vivian Cheruiyot to marathon, there is little competition in the 10,000m for Aprot, but that does not mean she will have an easy sail.

After winning the Cross Internacional de Soria meeting in Seville last week, Aprot took another runaway victory on Spanish soil at the Cross Internacional de la Constitución in Alcobendas on Nov. 26 and is keen to maintain her firm grip on the seven-round IAAF cross country circuit in Europe.

By winning the senior women's 8km race in 27:20, Aprot joins an illustrious list of past champions which includes compatriots Sally Barsosio (1995), Linet Masai (2008, 2015) and Vivian Cheruiyot (2009).

"We have the Africa cross country in Algeria and the Commonwealth Games. These are events I intend to compete in and not any other. Then I will focus on the IAAF Diamond League starting in May," she added.

Aprot won a silver medal at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, Uganda in March. Enditem