Coach Ereng lauds Kenyan pair Korir, Saruni for dominance on USA Indoor circuit

By John Kwoba

NAIROBI, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- It will take something special to stop the Kenyan pair of Emmanuel Korir and Michael Saruni at the World Indoor Championships.

The two athletes, who are based in the United States and are trained by another Kenyan 800m legend Paul Ereng, have left the world dreaming of how fast they can run as the countdown to the World Indoor Championships begin in earnest.

On Saturday, Korir ran the third all-time fastest indoor 800m time by clocking 1:44.21 in New York at the Millrose Games.

"Having to see and coach the world's two top seeds in 800m - Korir at 1:44.21 and Michael Saruni at 1:45.19 is just a blessing," Ereng said on Monday.

Organizers of the Millrose Games put together a quality men's 800m race, which was won by Korir in 1:44.21, the third fastest run of all time and an African indoor record.

Korir shadowed USA's Donavan Brazier for much of the race before he broke away in the waning stages to become the third fastest ever over the distance indoors. Brazier was second in 1:45.35 and Drew Windle third in 1:45.53 to move up to second and third on the North American indoor all-time list.

Korir and Saruni, who ran 46.8 in a 4x400m Relay, are in line to be named in the Kenyan team that will be heading to the World Indoor Championships in Birmigham from March 1-4. Ereng however, believes it will take something special to stop them.

Korir last represented Kenya at the London World Championships but he was not good enough to win a medal.

Saruni was left behind in favor of Ferguson Rotich. With an injury to Olympic Champion David Rudisha, which rules him out of the Indoor championships, the onus will fall on the two young men to carry the country's flag in Birmingham. Enditem