RWANDA’s 5000m champion Sylvain Rukundo begins his quest for a medal when he faces elite runners in the heat stages of the 5000m this afternoon in the World Championships in Daegu, South Korea.

Rukundo concedes that a podium finish in Daegu could an uphill task, but the young athlete has his yes set on recoding the minimum required time so as to qualify for next year’s London Olympic Games.

The 5000m national champion has a personal best 13.41.00 but still needs to slash it down by 13 seconds to qualify for next year’s Olympics.

"It is every athlete’s dream to compete in the Olympics and I feel I’m very close to qualifying,” Rukundo said recently.

Rukundo face stiff challenge from Ethiopia’s Merga Imane, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, Burundi’s Gerald Gahungu, Ugandan pair of Geoffrey Kusuro Abraham Kiplimo and Eritrea’s Mesel Amanuel respectively.

With Nyirabarame failing to finish the marathon event last Sunday, Rukundo is the lone athlete who can rescue the country’s image in Daegu.

Nyirabarame failed to finish the 42,195 Km women marathon race at the World Championships with Edna Ngeringwony Kiplagat of Kenya leading a 1-2-3 sweep in marathon medals.

Nyirabarame who was expected to use the world athletics championship as a platform to seek the minimum qualifications to enable her compete at London Games never lived up to her dream of doing so as she injury her left leg after 21.095km.

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