By John Kwoba
NAIROBI, May 20 (Xinhua) -- World Cross Country silver medalist Alice Aprot of Kenya wants to atone missing the Commonwealth Games with victory at the Africa Athletics Championships in Asaba, Nigeria in August.
Aprot, who won the 10,000m race during the Africa championships two years ago, but lack of form and poor planning have left her with no victory in major competitions in the last year and early this season.
"Injuries are part of the game to any athlete. I have suffered my share and hope to remain fit as the year progresses and win some medals," Aprot said on Sunday.
Fatigue and loss of form forced Aprot out of the Kenya team to Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, but the 24-year-old is returning to her best and wants to explore every chance in the Diamond League to dominate and hopes her prospect will flow over to the Africa Athletics Championships.
"I took too much than what my body could withstand in the cross country season and I paid the ultimate price in missing out in the Kenya team. Now I have rested and regained momentum. The reconditioning has been great and have had enough time to recover fully. I want to race in selected Diamond League races and will be focused on winning the gold in Africa championships in the 10,000m race," said Aprot from Eldoret.
The former African 10,000m champion will still have to curve her path through a battery of season runners all eyeing one of the three slots up for grabs in the Kenya team.
Challenges for Aprot will be the athletes that beat her to the ticket to the Commonwealth Games.
Top names Sandrafelis Chebet, Stacy Ndiwa and Beatrice Mutai denied Aprot the ticket to the Club Games, but failed to star in Gold Coast. Now Aprot is keen to show them who is the queen of long distance races.
"I want to define my season with gold from Africa championships," she said. It is the biggest event this year and hopefully get selected to the IAAF Intercontinental Cup in Ostrava (Czech Republic)."
In March, Aprot failed to win the Africa Cross Country Championships in Algiers, Algeria.
Her problems magnified with a miss to the Commonwealth Games and now, with the continental track and field championships up next, she believes international championships will see her give best performance.
