OREGON22: Emmanuel Korir under no pressure ahead of 800m semis

With the hopes of a second victory at the ongoing Oregon World Athletics Championships, 800m Olympic gold medalist Emmanuel Korir has insisted that he is under no pressure.

Korir booked a place in the semis after running 1:49.05 in the heat on Wednesday and will be one of the favourites to punch a ticket to the final of the discipline.

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The 800m silver medalist in the 2018 African Championships played down the pressure ahead of the semis set for Friday 22 July as he opened up on his decision not to enter the 400m.

“There's no pressure at all, it will be me on the track, my training and my coach understands me because no other athlete was there. Kenyans are expecting something but there is no pressure, I'm going to do my best.

Making the decision to compete in the 400m and 800m was tough, the timetable was close compared to 2019 in Doha and that is why I chose not to participate in the 400m but I will do 400m in the Commonwealth Games,” said Korir.

Korir will be fighting for a place in the final with compatriots Wycliffe Kinyamal, Noah Kibet, and Emmanuel Wanyonyi also qualifying for the semi-finals.

The 27-year-old was however coy on predicting the final with a lot of variables set to play a part and opened up on his struggles in the opening events of the Athletics season.

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“I have no prediction, you never know what is going to happen. For now,, I don't want to guess or say anything about the final because you never know someone might even break the world record or maybe it will have the slowest results.

For now I'm okay and getting better, at the end of the season I know I will be okay, I had an injury but now I'm okay,” added Korir.