Kenya's Cheruiyot ready to return after maternity leave

Olympic 5,000 metre silver medallist Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya feels she is ready to test her body in local competition before moving on to the international circuit after two years out on a maternity leave.

With her focus on Rio Games in 2016, Cheruiyot is keen to use the Beijing World Championships in August 2015 as a springboard in her bid to finally secure an Olympic gold medal, reports Xinhua.

"I am about 50 percent ready for the competition. It is still far, however, and I have no doubts I will be 100 percent fit when the time comes.

"Now the focus is to shake off the excess fat and regain my fitness. The World Championships and the World Cross Country Championships are ideal competitions for my progress," she said Wednesday.

Despite featuring in three Olympics -- Sydney (2000), Beijing (2008) and London (2012), Cheruiyot is yet to clinch the ultimate prize of any athlete's dreams, the gold medal.

In Sydney, just aged 17, Cheruiyot was a distant 14th in the 5000m race. Poor form and injuries locked her out of Athens 2004 Games, but she returned in Beijing four years later and was a distant fifth in the 12-lap race.

But in London 2012, a decision to double up in both 5,000m and 10,000m might have drained her energies and she was a pale shadow of her powers as she returned second in 5,000 and third in 10,000 with Ethiopians Meseret Defer and Tirunesh Dibaba stealing the show, respectively.

But Cheruiyot believes she will get her revenge in Rio in 2016.

"I have achieved much in athletics, winning medals in almost all world competitions, but I miss the Olympics gold medals in my trophy cabinet. I have hope that in the coming Olympics I will win one," she said.