Kipruto sets sight on Shaheen’s feat

NAIROBI: Kenyan Conseslus Kipruto says he has set his sights on breaking the 14-year-old 3,000-metre steeplechase world record at the Monaco Diamond League meeting on July 20.

The record of 7 minutes 53.63 seconds was set in Brussels in September 2004 by Kenyan-born Qatari Saif Saeed Shaheen Kipruto, the Olympic and world champion, who also won the Commonwealth Games title at the Gold Coast, Australia in April, said he was in the best-ever form and ready to attempt the world record. “This year has been so good for me. It’s every athlete’s dream to stay injury-free and God has been good to me,” Kipruto said in Nairobi on Saturday. “I have four more weeks to prepare for the World record attempt in Monaco. It will be great to bring the 3,000m steeplechaser record back to Kenya.” Kipruto returned to the track for the first time since his victory in the Commonwealth Games when he won the national title at the Kenya athletics championships at Kasarani stadium on Saturday, and was included in the squad for the African championships in Asaba, Nigeria, in August. It will be Kipruto’s first appearance in the continental championships, and the 23-year-old is relishing the opportunity of adding the African title to his rich collection.