World junior silver medalist Benjamin Kiplagat has set his eyes on the final of the 3,000m steeplechase at the Beijing Olympic Games.
The student of Ugandan Standard High School is looking forward to making it to the final and bringing back home an Olympic medal from Beijing, where he had competed in the 11th IAAF World Junior Championships in 2006 but only finished 6th.
"My target in Beijing is to qualify for the final. After that anything can happen. That is my prayer," Kiplagat was quoted by the state-owned New Vision daily on Monday.
The Olympic-bound runner, who has over the weekend easily strode to victory in the 3,000m steeplechase at the National Athletics Championships here, said he was taking the chance to build up for the Beijing Games.
Kiplagat outpaced the field effortlessly to clock the winning 8:28.80.The 19-year-old runner's mark was four seconds inside the Beijing Games entry mark of 8:32.00.
"I was very comfortable. I did not want to push it harder," Kiplagat said, adding that "I was just testing myself and I am happy. I feel I am ready for the Olympics."
The national record holder has won his first international medal when he finished second in the 3,000m steeplechase at the World Junior Championships on July 13 in Bydgoszsc, Poland.
Kiplagat has also reduced his national record by 1.37seconds as he clocked 8:14.29 to finish second in the men's 3,000m steeplechase at the Hengelo Grand Prix in the Netherlands on May 24.
(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2008)