NAIROBI, May 3 (Xinhua) -- Berlin Marathon runner-up Amos Kipruto will make his debut in Paris on Sunday eyeing to secure gold and boost his chances of making the Kenya team to the World Marathon championships in Qatar in October.
It will be the first race for Kipruto since he pulled out of Tokyo Marathon with a serious knee injury back in January.
The 27-year-old says he has shaken off his injury miseries and will be running at full throttle in the French capital.
"Let there be no doubt, I am fit. I have fully healed and my preparations for the Paris Marathon have been good," said Kipruto on Friday.
Athletics Kenya President Jack Tuwei has set the ceiling for national team selection saying it will be based on merit and performance in the last two-month marathon.
"We must do the selection early and we will focus on the marathon ran in the last two months. Kenyans have really done well and it will be a tough call to make for the selectors," said Tuwei.
Kipruto injured his knee in training in January, and it kept him from training for two months.
"The injury to my knee, which I got in training in January, sucked the wind out of me. Now I hope to compete in May and win. Paris is my next stop," he said.
Last year, Kipruto was second in Berlin, clocking 2:06:23, behind Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge, who set a world record (2:01:39).
But he believes past record will count for less as he puts his best foot forward in Paris on Sunday.
Kipruto said competing at the highest level involves competing against the best and he looked forward to rub shoulders with the elite runners and emerge victorious.
"Today in all the big city marathons, rarely will you find a weak opponent. The races are competitive and I have been working extra hard because this is my career and I want to develop so that I can be among those counted as the great athletes of the season," said Kipruto.
Four other Kenyans will line up the streets of Paris eyeing to edge out their rivals. They include Solomon Yego (2:06:24), Peter Some (2:05:38), Paul Maina (2:08:49) and Bernard Kipyego (2:06:19).
Having run with Kipchoge, in a historic race in Berlin where the London champ set a world record, exalted Kipruto the global stage and he fancies his chance.
"When I ran with Kipchoge in Berlin, he inspired me so much especially after he broke the world record and I finished second behind him," added the athlete.
Kipruto set his personal best time winning in Amsterdam in 2:05:43. He has also raced in Tokyo, where he was third last year and has a win from Seoul, South Korea. Enditem
