NAIROBI, June 15 (Xinhua) -- World 1,500m champion Elijah Manangoi of Kenya says he will return to the Diamond League circuit in July as he focused his energies on securing a ticket to the Africa Athletics Championships in Asaba, Nigeria.
Manangoi, running the 800m race in the Kenya Police Championships, believes his one month absence from the Diamond League will be critical as he seeks to boost his speed and endurance to challenge for the world record in Monaco on July 20.
"It has been in my plans since the season started. I always said that it will be important for me to attempt a world record this year because we have no major championships," Manangoi said.
"Monaco will be a big race for me. It is there that I want to run my personal best and perhaps a world record time," said Manangoi.
The Commonwealth Games champion holds a personal best time of 3:28.80 over the 1,500m distance while the world record is 3:26.00 currently held by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco.
This season, he ran 3:33.79 to win in Rome Diamond League. However he will test his speed at the Rabat Diamond League meeting on July 13 before eyeing the world record in Monaco a week later.
But he has the small matter of securing his place in the Kenya team to the Africa Championships on August 10-15 in Nigeria. Kenya will hold its national championships, which will be used as trials for the continental championships the next week, and only the top two runners across the finish line will seal their spot in the squad.
"The Africa championship is significant for me this season. At 25, I need to get over it and win gold in Nigeria. But it will also offer a direct qualification to the IAAF Continental Cup in Ostrava, Czech Republic in September and I want to be part of that Africa team," he added.
Meanwhile, Kenya's representative at Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Emily Cherotich is hopeful to join the Kenya team to the Africa Championships after failing to win a medal in the Club Games.
She will face stiff challenge from former world 800m champion Eunice Sum and Eglay Nalianya, the Kenya Police champion.
Bett, the 2015 world 400m hurdles champion, who is also fine-tuning for the national championships says that with a little support, Kenya can widen its medal prospects beyond the middle and long distance races by dominating in the sprints and field events.
"I didn't have a good start to my Diamond League season owing to some personal issues but I am back. The target is to make it to the Africa team and then wait and see how the event folds. But I believe I can win a medal for Kenya in Nigeria," he said.
Nigeria dominated the last Africa Championships in Durban, South Africa winning a total of 16 medals - eight gold, five silver and three bronze ahead of hosts South Africa who claimed 11 medals, while Kenya was third with 17 medals - three gold, seven silver and seven bronze.
