•U.S based Saruni and Korir want to follow in the footsteps of Wilfred Bungei and David Rudisha by reclaiming the men's 800m title in Tokyo
•Saruni says his underdog tag will work to his advantage
•Korir not worried about a potential showdown with Botswana's Nijel Amos
Kenya's Olympic representatives in the men's 800m, Michael Saruni and Emmanuel Korir believe they can defend the title won by David Rudisha at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Saruni said a gold for Kenya at the Tokyo Olympics will cement the country's longstanding reputation as a powerhouse in this middle distance race.
"Since 2008 at the Beijing Olympics, Kenya has been winning the 800m. Since the days of Wilfred Bungei and David Rudisha, we have been dominating this race and I want to continue this tradition. It is a dream come true to be at the Olympics and I am excited to be representing my country," Saruni said.
Saruni said he is not under any pressure and will capitalise on his underdog tag to produce his best performance and shock his more famed rivals.
"So far so good; I would say I am 90 per cent ready but I am not yet there. I have no injuries and am healthy and ready to go. I am not under pressure to perform because I am an underdog. No one expected me to make it to the Olympics. At the trials, I was competing against people with world leads and so am not under any pressure," the U.S-based runner said.
With the world record holder Rudisha absent from Tokyo, the onus will be on Saruni, Korir and world bronze medalist Ferguson Rotich to fly the country's flag at the quadrennial games.
However, there is the small matter of 2012 Olympic silver medalist Nijel Amos of Botswana who has just returned from injury and will be seeking to claim the vacated Olympic title.
Amos clocked a world lead of 1:42.91 at the Monaco Diamond League.
When quizzed about a potential showdown with Amos, Korir however adopted a wait-and-see approach.
"There's nothing much to say about him other than the fact that we have faced each other three times so far this season. But, a competition is a competition and it is always unpredictable. All I want is to do my best and bring home a medal," Korir, who also resides in the U.S, said.
The African Championship silver medalist praised his compatriots, saying there is a chance for a 1-2-3 finish if they work together as a team.
"Ferguson and Saruni are great athletes and they make this a very strong team. We hope all of us will make it past the heats and semis and hopefully meet at the finals and try to be at the podium," he said.