World Cross Country Championships - Jacob Kiplimo: "My biggest rival is Joshua Cheptegei"

Jacob Kiplimo is fully primed for the World Cross Country Championships, scheduled for 30 March in Belgrade, Serbia. Winner of the senior men's race in Bathurst, the Ugandan is more determined than ever to defend his title. Once again, Joshua Cheptegei will stand in his way. Kiplimo finished second behind Cheptegei at the 2019 World Cross Country Championships. The 23-year-old prodigy got his revenge on his compatriot last year, with Cheptegei in turn having to settle for second place. "My biggest sporting rival is my compatriot and national team-mate Joshua Cheptegei," said the Olympic 5000m bronze medallist from Tokyo.

This year, Jacob Kiplimo has just two main goals: winning gold at the World Cross Country Championships and at the Paris Olympics. And preparations are going rather well. "My preparations are going well. I'm in Kapchorwa, where I'm training with my team-mates. We are a group of around 10 to 12 people staying together in our new training camp."

Jacob Kiplimo also spoke about his injuries. The most recent one kept him out of the World Athletics Championships. The athlete had a hamstring problem, a huge blow for the Ugandan. "When I have an injury, my mind starts to get stressed. So I try to ask other people for advice, which usually gives me a lot of motivation to recover from my injury," said the half-marathon world champion.

Read also: Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo, beyond the competition