Karoki sounds warning shot as trials beckon

What you need to know:

  • Rudisha to skip team selection.
  • World Half Marathon silver medallist lines up in men’s 10,000m in weekend’s Worlds trials.
  • Rudisha lost to Bett in Shanghai and Tarbei in Kingston.

Olympic and World 800m champion David Rudisha has withdrawn from the World Championships trials starting Friday at the Nyayo National Stadium while World Half Marathon silver medallist Bedan Karoki has thrown down the gauntlet to rivals in men’s 10,000m.

At the same time, Athletics Kenya will give sprinters more time to qualify even after the trials where Team Kenya will be selected for the World Championships due August 4-13, this year in London.

“I will be present at the trials but will watch from the terraces since I already have a wild card,” said Rudisha, who is set to return from Germany on Thursday from Germany where he has been training. “I have decided to be more conservative this time round. I will compete in fewer races.”

Rudisha said he has never missed Kenyan trials for the World Championships and Olympic Games since graduating as a senior in 2007 except through injury.

“I have only competed in two races this season and I want to get the right balance as I reserve my energies for the Worlds,” said the 800m world record-holder.

Rudisha said he wanted to do things differently this year, having started his training late and even skipped his traditional season opening races in February in Australia. 

“What is important is that I have that ticket and I want to be in top form in London,” said Rudisha, who broke his own world record at the 2012 London Olympic Games final, clocking 1 minute and 40.91 seconds. Rudisha will be out to equal Kenyan-born Dane Wilson Kipketer’s record of three wins at the same arena where he made history five years ago.

Rudisha, who is thrilled by the rise of youngsters, World Under-20 800m champion Kipyegon Bett and World Under-18 Willy Tarbei, said Kenya will definitely field a strong team of four athletes in the two-lap race in London. Rudisha lost to Bett in Shanghai and Tarbei in Kingston.

“I hope they keep the right momentum and balance ahead of London,” Rudisha, the winner of the 2011 Daegu and 2015 Beijing Worlds noted.

Karoki, who represented Kenya in 10,000m at the 2013 Moscow and 2015 Beijing, finishing sixth and fourth, is hoping for a good race against World 10,000m silver medallist Geoffrey Kamworor and Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Paul Tanui.

“I am always proud and glad to represent Kenya. Watch out, I should make it to the medal bracket this time around in London,” said Karoki.