World Championships: Emmanuel Korir confident despite recent return from injury
Kenyan athlete Emmanuel Korir is confident ahead of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, despite recent injury problems
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A leading figure in world athletics and a big draw in the men's 800m, Emmanuel Korir has said he believes he will be ready for the World Championships in Budapest, despite having missed the national trials. "I had planned to take part in the national trials, but I had to pull out at the last minute for my own safety. I was battling a calf injury that could easily have got worse if I had pressed on and run in the trials."
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He recalled that he had been forced to seek specialist treatment abroad to deal with the injury, which, he says, could easily have wrecked his brilliant career. But it has not dented his current aim in the slightest: to make a strong showing at the World Championships in Budapest. "I have noticed that I always battle serious injuries when I'm about to compete at a major global event. But I won't let anything get in the way of my plans to win the title in Budapest," he said.
Injuries: his Achilles heel
But can Korir realistically expect to win, after an injury that has hampered him over the past two years? One might be tempted to say yes. Indeed, if anyone can do it, it is Emmanuel Korir. As proof, he has bounced back from injuries to win gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, among other things. "Who could have imagined me winning the Olympic title while I was struggling with a painful ankle? But I went home with a gold medal," he recalled. He added: "I'm not worried at all. I'm sure I'll be in good health by the time we travel to Hungary."
Emmanuel Korir has recovered from some injuries, but others have also badly set him back or cost him titles. Among them was the Diamond League meeting in Rabat in 2022, where he finished 7th. Further back, his hopes of winning the title at the World Athletics Championships in London in 2017 were also dashed after he hurt his lower back in the semi-finals, where he finished fifth. And finally, he heads to Budapest after a run of unconvincing outings this season, having finished 8th in Stockholm, 5th in Rabat and 10th in Paris in the Diamond League.
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