Three time world half marathon champion Geoffrey Kipsang Kamworor has set his focus on defending his world cross country title in Aarhus, Denmark next year.
Fresh from finishing third at the New York City Marathon last Sunday behind Ethiopian duo of Lesisa Desisa and Shura Kitata, Kamworor said what happened in New York was unbelievable but had to accept the outcome and forge ahead.
“I did my best to defend my title but it did not happen as planned. I have to accept the results and focus on my future. My target is to defend my cross country title,” said the world 10,000m silver medal winner.
The former Berlin marathon champion will be seeking his third back-to-back world cross country honours, just like what he has achieved in world half marathon when he won his maiden 21km world title in Copenhagen in 2014, before defending in Cardiff in 2016 and in Valencia this year.
The 2017 New York City Marathon champion won his first world cross country title in Guiyang, China in 2015 and defended the title in Kampala, Uganda in 2017.
The two time Berlin marathon bronze medalist will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of former world marathon record holder Paul Tergat, now the National Olympics Committee (NOCK) president. Tergat won the world cross country title five times in row starting from 1995 to 1999. “I will be taking time to recover before embarking on my serious training ahead of the national championships-cum-trials that will give me an opportunity to defend my title,” added the 2013 Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) half marathon champion.
“Kenya has many athletes and making a cut into the national team will be crucial that is why I have to work my way into the team,” added the former Lille half marathon champion during Ant-Doping Day in Iten on Friday.