Kenyan duo to end Europe tour, focus on Commonwealth Games preparations

NAIROBI, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan pair James Kibet and Lilian Rengeruk sent a clear message of intend ahead of Kenyan trials for Commonwealth Games with victory at the IAAF Cross Country Permit meeting in San Giorgio su Legnano in Milan, Italy on Saturday.

Kibet is eyeing a slot in the Kenya team in the chocking 5,000m race where there are over 35 athletes who have clocked the required qualification time. However, Rengeruk will be targeting the women's 10,000m race.

"It is always a battle to make Kenya team. However, when you win against strong opposition in international races it motivates you to work hard in the trials.

"But selection to Kenya team is a different challenge. It is down to what form one has on the day," said Kibet on Sunday.

Kenya athletes are using the cross country series to build on their endurance ahead of the track season for both indoor and outdoor competitions.

"I did not think about winning the race in Milan but it was my dream to follow in the footsteps of the big stars who have won here in the past, like Paul Tergat and Haile Gebrselassie," said Kibet, who set a 5000m personal best time of 13:11.88 at the IAAF World Challenge meeting in Berlin last September.

"I followed my plan and stayed in the group before pulling away on the final lap," added Kibet, who will now turn his attention to trying to qualify for Kenya's team for the Commonwealth Games.

Kibet won a close men's 10km race in 29:34 holding off Ethiopian Tesfaye Deriba and Olympic 5000m silver medallist Paul Chelimo in a thrilling final sprint.

In a similarly close women's race, world cross country bronze medalist Rengeruk of Kenya edged compatriot and world 10,000m bronze medalist Agnes Tirop by one second. Rengeruk, who is the world cross-country bronze medalist, had to contend with world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri, Tirop, Uganda's Peruth Chemutai and Ethiopia's Gete Alemayehu.

Obiri, who finished fourth, is eyeing to recapture the 3,000m title at the World Indoor Championships, which will be held in March in Birmingham, England. Enditem