•Commonwealth Games 10,000m silver medalist Daniel Simiu reckons he has the mojo to romp to the medal podium at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Budapest Hungary.
•The National Police Service officer, however, said he is yet to decide whether he will compete in the 10,000m or the 5,000m race.
Image: FILe
Commonwealth Games 10,000m silver medalist Daniel Simiu reckons he has the mojo to romp to the medal podium at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Budapest Hungary.
In an exclusive interview on Monday, Simiu, 27, pledged to pulverize the field at Budapest's National Athletics Centre on the banks of the Danube en route to a historic triumph.
"My focus is now on the World Championships. I strongly feel I will make the team to Budapest and return with a medal," Simiu said.
The National Police Service officer, however, said he is yet to decide whether he will compete in the 10,000m or the 5,000m race.
"Whatever race I eventually choose, my goal is to win a medal. I'm keen to better my silver-medal achievement at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games," Simiu said.
Either way, Simiu must prepare to flex muscles with Uganda's track sensation Joshua Cheptegei.
Cheptegei is the reigning Olympic champion in the 5000m and silver medalist in the 10,000m, a two-time World champion in the 10,000m in 2019 and 2022, a World silver medalist in 2017, and the 2019 World Cross Country winner.
He also won gold medals in the 5000 m and 10,000 m at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
"I believe I can upset the form book and defeat him to bring home the gold medal," Simiu remarked.
This will be Simiu's second World Athletics Championship if he is selected for the Kenyan delegation.
Despite finishing second in the 5000m trials in 2019, the Athletes Integrity Unit ruled him ineligible to fly the country's flag at the championships.
That was after he failed to fulfill the mandatory three out-of-competition tests as prescribed by law.
Simiu made the squad to Oregon last year, finishing tenth behind Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Kenya's Jacob Krop, and Uganda's Oscar Chelimo.
Simiu described his experience in the World Cross-Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia, as a priceless lesson that will propel him to greater success.
"It was a nice experience for me to compete in cross country at the international level for the first time," Simiu said.
"Most of the time I have dropped out of the trials but this time I finally comprised the team. We did admirably well in the face of stiff opposition, and I hope to have the same confidence in Budapest," he explained.
He has promised a masterstroke performance in his subsequent cross-country performances.
"I will be competing in additional world cross-country championships. The competition in Bathurst was a fantastic warm-up for the upcoming track season.
Simiu defeated former World Half Marathon record holder Kibiwott Kandie at the 4th leg of the Athletics Kenya Cross Country Weekend Series in Ol Kalau, Nyandarua County, in November last year.
He finished in 29:29.1 seconds, six seconds ahead of Kandie, who crossed the finish line six seconds later.