Fit-again Kamworor out to reclaim World Cross title

Two-time World Cross Country champion Geoffrey Kamworor is eyeing a third title in next year’s event slated to be held in Bathurst, Australia.

Kamworor finished sixth in the men’s 10km senior race to make the cut in Kenya’s team during the trials held on Saturday at the Prisons Staff Training College in Ruiru.

During the last edition of the championship held in Aarhus, Denmark in 2019, Kamworor bagged a bronze medal.

“For me my target was to qualify but the real battle will be in Australia. It will be my fifth appearance at the global event and I will try to win another title,” said Kamworor.

The 30-year-old has struggled with a series of injuries with the latest being a stress fracture he suffered in August during the World Athletics Championships in Oregon where he finished fifth in the men’s marathon.

“Actually I had very little time to prepare since I resumed training in October and that is partly why I struggled with speed today. I am however happy I made the cut and I believe we still have some time to prepare before we compete in February,” he said.

Kamworor will bank on his experience having raced in four editions of Word Cross Country Championships where he bagged gold in the junior race in 2011 before clinching back-to-back titles in the senior race in 2015 and 2017.

The Kaptagat-based athlete will have company in a strong field that also has Sebastian Kimaru, Commonwealth 10,000m silver medallist Daniel Simiu, former half marathon world record holder Kibiwott Kandie, Emmanuel Kiprop and Commonwealth 5000m silver medallist  Nicholas Kipkorir.