Wijekoon targets a personal best

I want to be a legend, says Bolt:

Dinesh WEERAWANSA reporting from South Korea

DAEGU, Aug. 27. Sri Lanka's most promising middle distance runner Chaminda Wijekoon is determined to capitalise on his Asian level success and register his career best timing at the 13th IAAF World Championship which began here today with a spectacular opening ceremony. He has come a long way as one of the most experienced Sri Lanka athletes and is the current Sri Lanka national record holder in men's 1,500m event.

Wijekoon, who turns 30 next month, won the bronze medal of his pet event at the recent Asian Championships in Kobe.

He will be seen in action in men's 1,500m first round heats scheduled for Tuesday (30) at 11.20 a.m. local time here.

The semi finals and the final of this event are scheduled to be worked off on August 31 and September 3 respectively.

"My aim is to advance step by step. The level of competition is very high and winning medals will be an uphill task. That does not mean that I am here merely to compete. I will go all out to register my personal best timing here. That would be my initial goal," said Wijekoon who has been under a strenuous program since his impressive run at the Asian Championship.

Going by the impressive line up for men's 1,500m event, Wijekoon is bound to face a tough task as Kenya looks forward win its first ever World Championship medal in this event. The Kenyan challenge is spearheaded by Commonwealth Games champion Silas Kiplagat who accounts for the two fastest times in the world this year. The 22-year-old lad recorded a world leading timing of three minutes and 30.47 seconds to triumph in Monaco.

His compatriot, the Olympic and African Games gold medallist Asbel Kiprop (3:31.76) should also be among the front runners for the title. He is in good form as evinced by a personal best of 1:43.15 for 800m in Monaco. A strong team is complete by two-time World indoor silver medalist Daniel Kipchirchir Komen (3:32.47) whose season's best was recorded when finishing third at altitude at the Kenyan Championships. On the other hand, Olympic silver medalist Nick Willis is in the peak form of his life, establishing a New Zealand record of 3:31.79 for fourth in Monaco.

Two-time World Indoor 1500m champion Deresse Mekonnen (3:32.90) leads the Ethiopian medal quest in the men's 1,500m. The 23-year-old who won a silver medal at the 2009 World Championships has struggled to find his absolute best so far this year but as his record at the major events indicates he should not be discounted. His teammate Mekonnen Gebremedhin (3:31.90), the African bronze medallist, has consistently finished in the top three on the Diamond League circuit.

Meanwhile Jamaican Usain Bolt is getting ready to strike gold and become the fastest man at the World Championships in Daegu. His chances look even brighter after the last minute withdrawal of compatriot Asafa Powell and the absence of former champion - American Tyson Gay.

Bolt, the world 100 and 200m champion, said he is well focused for the race. "Even when I've not been doing well in training, and I've been messing up, when it comes to a championship I have a real focus because I want it really bad. I want it even more because I want to be a legend. I've been working this week. I'm focused and I'm ready so - I'm going to get it done," a determined Bolt said.

However, he was non-committal when questioned about the withdrawal of compatriot Powell, who heads this year's world's leading timing in men's 100m with an impressive 9.78. Is Asafa out of the meet? This is the first I'm hearing about that, he said.