Olympic and world 800m champion Emmanuel Korir has attributed his early exit from his specialty to a persistent calf injury.

The defending champion said he will now take a break for the rest of the season just to heal and take it easy ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

“The injury has been persistent but prior to coming here, I had felt better,” he said, adding: “Considering my current form, I knew everything was possible and I accept the results."

Korir said he contemplated withdrawing from the championships but since he had a wildcard, he opted to give it a try.

However, he was glad that two of his teammates—Alex Ngeno and Emmanuel Wanyonyi — proceeded to the semis and he believes they can still win the title.

“I wish Ngeno and Wanyonyi the best of luck as they proceed to the semis. I believe the two have what it takes to win the title,” he quipped.

He said running is an individual effort and urged the two athletes to be themselves, run their race, and execute when it matters. 

Ferguson Rotich, who also failed to make it to the semis, blamed a muscle pull for his predicaments, adding that he had not trained for four days — his biggest undoing. 

“I only trained on Monday and Tuesday morning and this was not enough,” he added.

He said he is supposed to race in Shanghai and Brussels Diamond League next month but will first monitor his situation with options wide open. 

Wanyonyi said he is looking beyond the semi-finals. He said he will not repeat his mistakes from last year's championships in Oregon, which he blamed on lack of necessary experience to race at the grandest stage. 

“I didn’t have the experience and remained at the back of the pack until the last 100m and that really cost me dearly. This time around, I know better and I will try to do the right thing,” he added.

He said there was a little bit of pushing in Tuesday’s heats because the guy in front of him was slow and this affected his pace in the race. He said he still has a surprise for Kenyans come the final.

Ngeno said they will have to change tactics to reach the final since the semi-final stage is always tricky. He said they will have to be calculative as they weigh the situation.

“Sometimes boxing yourself on the inside line can cost you a lot. That is why we need to change tack and do the right thing, even if it means running on the outside line,” he added.