Middle distance runner Beatha Nishimwe has embarked on her final preparations for the forthcoming 2019 International Meeting of Djibouti on March 15.

Along with Emmanuel Safari (800m), Nishimwe (1,500m) will represent the country at this year’s edition of the annual competition in Djibouti, and she has insisted that "The target is to win a medal” as she seeks to qualify for the 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships.

In an interview with Times Sport, Nishimwe, 20, said that she was in good form and determined to give it her best for a ticket to Qatar World Championships in October.

"I have been training intensively since early February, I feel fit and upbeat to battle for a podium finish in Djibouti,” she told this publication in a telephone interview from Kenya on Tuesday.

The Rwandan duo of Safari, who has been training in Kigali, and Nishimwe will link up in Djibouti on Thursday, a day before vying for medals in the country’s capital.

The 7th IAAF World Athletics Championships is due September 27 – October 6 in Qatar.

editor@newtimesrwanda.com