NAIROBI, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Berlin Marathon silver medalist Amos Kipruto is back in training just two months after picking up a serious knee injury that ruled him out of Sunday's Tokyo Marathon.
Kipruto regrets missing out on running in Japan, where he had intended to improve on his third place finish from 2018.
However, he believes he will be able to shake off the rust and regain his fitness ahead of the Prague Marathon in May.
"I had planned to compete in Tokyo, see if I could improve on the bronze medal. But the injury to my knee, which I got in training in January, sucked the wind out of me. Now I hope to compete in Prague Marathon in May. However, it is up to my management to work out a deal with the organizers. My next destination can change anytime, but it would be good if I run in Prague," Kipruto said on Friday in Nairobi.
Kipruto, who trains under Italian coach Claudio Berardell, feels missing out on the Tokyo marathon will not hinder his hopes of making the Kenya team to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 because he has already run in the Japanese city and would relish a return to accomplish his task.
"The Olympics is still a year away. But I have the experience running in Tokyo and would very much like to make the Kenya team. But this year we have the world championships in Doha, and I hope I can run one good race to convince the selectors to offer me the opportunity to run in Qatar," he added.
Last year in Berlin, while all focus was on Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge as he cruised to a new world record of 2:01:39, little known Kipruto ravel in his own glory as he emerged from the blind spot to claim silver, on his birthday. Kipruto clinched silver in 2:06:23.
"I remember the race well because the focus was all on Kipchoge. But it was special to me since nobody had expected me to pull out a surprise and be on the podium. Yet I had done well in training. So when I pulled in the second place and was able to celebrate my birthday with a medal dangling under my neck, it was good memory," he said.
