体坛英语新闻：Kenya's women athletes confident ahead of World Half Marathon

NAIROBI, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- As far as distance running is concerned in Kenya; few get a second chance to compete for top honours in international competitions.

The odds are thinner for the World Half Marathon Championships to be held in Karvana, Bulgaria on Saturday since the country's selectors turn to the world lists to call-up athletes at a distance most runners use as a stepping stone to the ultimate race.

Tegla Loroupe (women three-time winner), Paul Tergat (men two-time champion), Mary Keitany (gold and silver), Susan Chepkemei (three-time silver winner) and Patrick Makau (men two-time silver medallist) are the only Kenyan repeat medallists at the World Half.

Loroupe, Tergat and Makau went on to hold the world full marathon record from that illustrious list.

Veteran Lydia Cheromei, who scooped silver in 2004 edition and Peninah Arusei who took bronze at the last edition, will don their country's famed red, green and black strip in Karvana, Bulgaria on Saturday seeking to join this esteemed class by placing at the podium.

For Arusei who was in the field scorched by compatriot Florence Kiplagat (1:08:24) in Nanning, China, getting a second chance in the Kenyan squad to gun for what would be a second international medal is an achievement in itself.

"After missing out on the medals at the Beijing Olympics and winning bronze in China, I understand how difficult it is to make the Kenyan team. When I learnt I was in the Bulgaria team, I thanked God since many never get a chance," Arusei who trained for the World Half in Iten before the team's departure for Karvana noted.

"We have a strong team with Cheromei and Priscah Jeptoo in it and I'm confident we will retain the overall title. For me, I will give everything to turn the bronze into gold and if it all falls into place, it will mark a moment I will never forget," Arusei who made the team on the strength of her 68:12 run for second in Paris in March added.

Despite training to her optimum, Arusei, 33, admits weather will play a huge factor in the realisation of her dream.

"I have never ran in Bulgaria but we train to be fit to compete anywhere but I'm hoping the conditions will not be too harsh especially, I would not prefer rain," Arusei said.

"For now, I want to get this out of the way before I decide on whether I will be competing in the full marathon or return to the half and track next season."

Cheromei is only two years older but she has been an almost ever present on the female distance running scene since she made her debut at the 1990 World Junior Championships besides competing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics Games as a teenager.

The seasoned athlete who has reinvigorated her career over the last two seasons has recorded two sub 70 minutes performances in Prague (67:26, PB) and Lille (68:54) to place her as a firm medal bet in Karvana.

She won the second medal in New Delhi, India with a 1:00:09 effort that was only trumped by China's Sun Yingjie (1:08:40) and having been considered as a probable for the London Olympics, saw her chances fade when she could only finish sixth at the Dubai Marathon in 2:21:30.

Her career was famously interrupted in 2006 when she was found guilty of clomiphene doping and was subsequently banned from May 2005 to May 2007.

Cheromei claimed she had taken the drug under prescription for fertility treatment and daughter Faith Chelagat was born seven months after her sanction but she did not inform authorities of the development hence her ban stood.

"Returning to this event is a honour since I have always felt I did not get the chance to prove I could win and I will do my best to make up for the lost time," she asserted.

Another decorated runner in the Kenyan women squad ranks is Priscah Jepleting Cherono, a bronze winner at the 2007 Worlds (5000m) and a fourth finisher at the 2011 edition in Daegu (10000m) who is also finding her feet after a maternal break that ruled her out of the Beijing Olympics and 2009 Berlin Worlds.

The tested trio will be backed by the promising debutants, Pauline Wangui and Pascalia Chepkorir, 23, who have underlined their potential by racing 67:55 and 67:17 this season that is faster than what their illustrious teammates have achieved.

Such is the quality of the Kenyan line-up that for most watchers, it is a matter of whether they can complete the first podium sweep in World Half Marathon history.