NAIROBI, December 11- World women’s 800m champion Eunice Sum will skip the indoor season next year with the African Championships 1,500m bronze winner on the top medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland that will be held in August.
“I have started light training and the focus next season will be on the Commonwealth Games. Of course, there are other races in between, but to sustain the same level of consistency you need to plan and I believe the biggest stage next year will be in Glasgow,” said Sum Tuesday in Nairobi.
However, Sum, who surprised the world when she sprinted to victory at the at the Moscow Worlds, beating Olympic champion, Mariya Savinova of Russia, confirmed that she will not take part in the Indoor circuit, which starts in January in Europe and USA.
The Kenyan stunned the Russian again, this time, in a more decisive victory to collect her maided IAAF Diamond League title in Zurich shortly after.
She is hoping to succeed Beijing 2008 1,500m gold winner, Nancy Jebet Langat as the two-lap race Commonwealth champion with the veteran also adding the longer race title in her her double winning act at the 2010 Club Games in Delhi, India.
Sum timed her late burst through the middle to perfection in Moscow during the 800m final, knocking almost two seconds off her personal best with a time of one minute 57.38 seconds.
The Russian was second in 1:57.80 and American Brenda Martinez snatched the bronze in 1:57.91.
Now the 24-year-old Sum wants to repeat same performance in Glasgow, where the Commonwealth family will meet in August.
Sum is eyeing to fill the void left by the defending Commonwealth Games champion Nancy Jebet Lagat, who struck double gold in Delhi Games in 2010 in both 800m and 1,500m races.
“I just want to do well. Nancy did well to win a double but at the moment, my focus is just on the 800m distance. I do not know if I will double. It is still too early and what is important is to train well,” she said.
Sum has represented the country in 1500m race before without success.
But that wait is over since she switched to the two-lap distance to fill the void left by her mentor Janeth Jepkosgei. “I think I will stick to the 800 now.”
