Kenyan runner Chebet looks to jump start career

She arrived in Poland three years ago without much fanfare, but when Emily Chebet left Bydgoszcz, she had clinched both the World Cross Country gold medal and a lucrative contract with Addidas to bout.But a career threatening knee and ankle injury forced her off the acceleration path in her young career. She toiled for much of the three years and was only able to resuscitate her career last year.She competed at the Africa Cross Country Championships in Cape Town, South Africa winning a bronze medal."I was not in my best form then. I also slipped and fell in the final lap just before the final straight. It gave my opponents chance to beat me," said Chebet on Monday."Nobody took interest in me then. After all there are many Kenyans who can run and a bronze medal is not good enough in a country where everyday a new talent springs up to dominate the world races."When she was picked to lead the women team to the World Cross Country Championships in Poland again, memories of the success she had in Bydgoszcz flowed back.She had to restrain herself and keep her foot down as she went along with her training.Braving the winter snow, mud, and main up and downs on the course, Chebet made sure Kenya retained the title for the fourth time, having wrested it from Ethiopians in Amman, Jordan in 2009.The 27-year-old turned back the clock to replicate her 2010 victory by sprinting away from Ethiopia's Hiwot Ayalew and Belaynesh Oljira in the closing stages of the race."I knew the Ethiopians were good and the gap was widening not to my liking. I had to give it my best shot. I pursued the Ethiopian (Hiwot Ayalew) and caught up with her. She was exhausted and I knew I had the title in my sight.""But the win was not what made me happy. The rehabilitation process, the pain I went through during the time I was injured. The people who supported me, it all came back rushing in my mind. I had proved many wrong, I had just cleared the biggest obstacle, I am back on the world map," said Chebet.But like many other stars from Kenya, her fame will fizzle out as soon as she touches down in Nairobi and steps back to her routine in Kericho. She is as good as the next performance, what she has attained will just remain that, history.That is why, Chebet is keen to keep the attention glued on her. She has already announced that she is stepping up the mass. She is no minnow and will do her best to punch above her weight and the road races are her next stop.Chebet will turn her attentions to the road in the short term and then to the track in the summer.Having also reduced her 10km best time on the roads to 30:58 last September in the Dutch city of Tilburg, now seems like the right time to take Chebet's chances of honours on the track more serious in the wake of a glorious comeback campaign this winter."My main focus now, before July, is road races over 5km and 10km as I need to improve my form and strength if I am to go to the World Championships in Moscow," she revealed."Then I want to try my luck at 10,000m so I'm going to try to make sure I get the opportunity to run for my country," said Chebet.Her one previous global championship was the 2007 World Championships, where she finished ninth over 10,000m before, but in September the following year, giving birth to her daughter Serah Cherono which effectively ruled out her competing at the highest level in 2009.In 2011, injuries took their toll for much of the year and stopped her making a serious attempt at qualifying for the last World Championships, although she did clock what is her current 10,000m personal best of 31:30.22 at the end of that year in Australia.The mention of 10,000m immediately ignites a gallant battle, not at the international arena, but even at the local stage where she has to dwarf the likes of Olympic silver medallist Sally Kipyego, her cross country predecessor Vivian Cheruiyot, former world champion Linet Masai, Africa cross country winner Joyce Chepkirui, just to mention a few.But it is a challenge, Chebet is aware of and ready to take it in her strides, literally. The battle she displayed in Poland, under the coldest temperature ever - updates showed weather at three degrees centigrade below zero - is proof enough she up for the task.Though in Bydgoszcz, there was some sun shining during the races, which made it more comfortable, comparing with the day before, it was the coldest cross country since the event started in 1981.For now, Chebet is happy with the new status she has gallantly fought to attain. For two years, she will be able to hold onto it and get the royalties that comes along.All she can do in the mean time is rest and stock up more energy for the battle ahead, especially in road races and track.After Bydgoszcz, China will host the 2015 world cross-country championships.The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) in Barcelona last November confirmed that the south-western city of Guiyang, which stands at 1100m altitude, will stage the event.Guiyang has already hosted the Asian edition of the sport in 2005 and 2012. From XINHUA