World Indoor 800m top gun, Collins Kipruto leaves the country this week to begin his indoor season in Lievin, France, with two intentions in mind, improving his Personal Best (PB) and maintaining his winning ways.

Since his specialty is not part of the scoring tour events this year, the Nyahururu-based Kipruto said he will be seeking to improve his personal best time and also ensure his name remains visible in the two-lap event when he participates in several indoor meets. His first stopover will is the Lievin indoor meet in France on Tuesday.

The scoring disciplines on the World Athletics Indoor Tour rotate each year. This year, the gold level scoring disciplines will be 400m, 1500m, 60m hurdles, high jump and long jump for men.

For women it will be 60m, 800m, 3000m/5000m, pole vault, triple jump and shot put.

“This time round the (men) 800m is not part of the Tour, it’s just about competition,” Kipruto said after doing morning speed work at the high altitude Nyahururu stadium yesterday. 

He said his intention this year is to improve his PB to 1:44 from the current one minute, 45.86 seconds which he achieved when winning in Torun, Poland, indoor meet last year.

He hopes to go to Torun, after Lievin and then head to Belgium.

Should he fail in improving his PB, Kipruto, who will turn 27 years in April this year, said he will be seeking to run a world lead time “to make sure I defend my title.”

Last year he won all the six 800m indoor races he participated in, in Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden, Spain and two meets in France.

His departure for France has been delayed by a slight visa hitch. He was hopeful that he would get it later yesterday or today to catch a flight as soon as possible.

Due to Covid-19 protocols, he is required to take a seven day quarantine on arrival in France, prior to the race day.