Commonwealth Games 10,000 metres bronze medalist Kibiwott Kandie believes he has familiarised himself enough with the track to blaze to the gold podium at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
The 2020 World Half Marathon silver medalist took a break from road races to focus on the track ahead of the World Championships.
Kandie made an impressive track debut, winning bronze at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. That was after he accepted a challenge from NOC-K President Paul Tergat to run the 10,000m race.
In an exclusive interview on Friday, Kandie said he was burning the midnight oil in preparation for a masterstroke performance in Budapest.
"All I can hope for is a positive result in Budapest. My training has been superb and I aim to keep up the effort. That's why I performed so well in the 10k road race and the Commonwealth Games 10,000m," he remarked.
Kandie reflected on his historic performance in Birmingham, revealing that earning a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games had inspired him to punch above his weight at the next World Championships when he will aim for nothing less than a gold medal.
"Since it was my first international track meet, winning bronze was a huge accomplishment. This was sufficient proof that I can achieve more not only on the road but also on the track.
"I'm working particularly hard to make a name for myself at the World Athletics Championships, where I'll compete in the 10,000m," he continued.
Kandie, who captained Team Kenya at the World Cross-Country Championships in Bathurst, Hungary, said he was grateful to have been a part of the event because it taught him some significant lessons.
"I'm not wholly dissatisfied with our performance even though the men's team came back empty-handed. That was my first time competing in cross country for my country.
He stated that smart strategy and planning will assist Kenyan athletes to thrive in Hungary as they did in Australia.
"We have a lot to learn from our amazing performance in Australia, and I feel we can put up an even better show in Budapest than we did in Bathurst," Kandie added.
He described leading the star-studded contingent, which included three-time world half marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor and Commonwealth Games 5000m silver medallist Daniel Simiu, as a privilege.
Kandie hopes to rise from the ashes after brushing off injuries in the past two years that saw him sit out of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics as well as last year’s World Championships in Oregon and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
