Back from injury, Kenya's Managoi eyes Tokyo 2020 podium

NAIROBI - Kenya's middle distance star Elijah Manangoi had a 2019 to forget after injury forced him out of his 1,500m title defense in Doha.

However, the self-named 'Lion' is glad his Rongai Athletics Club teammate, Timothy Cheruiyot, whom he led to silver at London 2017, brought the gold medal home.

The 2018 Commonwealth and African champion has returned to full fitness and raring to make up for lost time at the Tokyo 2020.

"I was really happy because the gold didn't go to another country, it came to Kenya; it came to Rongai Athletics club," Managoi told Chinese television CGTN Africa on Saturday.

"The best thing is that the morale is high right now at the Rongai Athletics Club, because my partner Timothy Cheruiyot went to Doha and got that gold, I was actually talking to him before and I told him that at least make me happy and bring it back home."

Now injury free, Manangoi is hoping that the start of the World Athletics Diamond League in April will be a good test of his fitness.

"Go to Doha in the first open Diamond League and to test my body, whether it can react to something, so I think our position is good right now as Rongai Athletics club," the 27 year-old stressed.

The coronavirus pandemic that has disrupted sporting activity worldwide could see the elite World Athletics circuit competition called off, although a decision is yet to be made by the global governing body that, this week, announced the postponement of some World Athletics Series events.

That, however, has not dampened the spirits of the athlete who came to global attention when he won the silver medal at the Beijing 2015 World Championships behind countryman Asbel Kiprop. Kiprop is currently serving a four-year ban for doping.

Manangoi's ultimate goal for the season is earning his first Olympic medal at Tokyo 2020 this summer where he is hoping to represent his nation alongside younger brother and African Games champion George Manangoi and complete a men's 1,500m medal sweep with his teammates in Japan.

"The major factor is the Olympics this year, so that is where I am actually concentrating on. After my blow from injury now I am fine," he underscored.

His younger sibling George qualified to represent Kenya at the Doha 2019 championships where he did not make the finals but served notice of his talent by winning the world Under-17 and Under-20 titles at Nairobi 2017 in Kenya and Tampere 2018 in Finland.

Last year, the 19 year-old won the Africa Games title in Morocco and his older brother is backing him to go on to bigger things in the future.

"George is fine, I think he is a big man right now, so he knows what the right thing is and what is wrong.

"Until now he is really doing good, he is focusing, he is concentrating on Tokyo as well and I will not be surprised actually when we go together to Tokyo, so we are really on the same track with him, with the same training, everything at the gym and all that, so I really think we are focusing together for the Olympics Tokyo," the elder Manangoi enthused.