World 800m bronze medalist Bett seeks victory at Dusseldorf Indoor Tour

NAIROBI, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's rising star Kipyegon Bett will have another chance to prove he is the heir apparent to the legendary David Rudisha when he competes at the Dusseldorf Indoor Tour meet in Germany on Feb. 6.

Bett, who clinched a bronze medal at the London World Championships, a competition Rudisha skipped due to injury, will join World 1,500m champion Elijah Manangoi in the race as the two seeks to dominate in their respective events ahead of the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham, England in March.

"{I have started training and races in a few cross country meeting at home. The aim is to shake off the fatigue and build on the speed required for the indoor season," said Bett on Thursday.

In Dusseldorf, Bett will face Poland's perennial threat Adam Kszczot, who won silver ahead of him in London. However, the Kenyan youth star says it is about his fitness and not revenge when he meets the Polish athlete.

"Competing in such races is down to your preparedness and nothing that happens outside that race hold any stake. It may play to your brain prior to the race, but once the guns sounds, it's down to your strides that will matter," he said.

The Dusseldorf meeting will be the second meet in the IAAF Indoor tour. The tour gets off the blocks in Karlsruhe, also in Germany on Feb. 3 followed by Dusseldorf and Madrid (Feb 8).

The fourth stop will be in Boston on Feb. 10 with Torun hosting the fifth round on Feb. 15 before the series wind up in Glasgow, Scotland on Feb. 25 to set the stage for the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham on March 4.

Organizers of the Dusseldorf meet have also added more star power to the line-up. They are world champions Elijah Manangoi of Kenya and Sam Kendricks of the United States.

The two will be joining 11 medalists from the IAAF World Championships London 2017. Enditem