Rwanda’s middle-distance athlete Salome Nyirarukundo travelled to London on Tuesday ahead of the 16th edition of the IAAF World Championships scheduled for August 4-13.

Nyirarukundo is Rwanda’s only representative at the prestigious biennial event and was accompanied by Rwanda Athletics Federation (RAF) president, Jean Paul Munyandamutsa.

It will be the first appearance for the 20-year-old highly rated athlete, who will compete in the women’s 10,000 metres on August 5.

The Kigali International Peace Half Marathon reigning champion has been training in Kenya for the last two months at Global Communications camp in Kaptagat, Eldoret.

"I have been training in Kenya with some of the top athletes and I have to admit that the camp has been really good, I feel ready to make my country proud, despite the fact that this is going to be my first experience,” she told Times Sport before departure.

She further noted that; "I am keeping my expectations low because I’m going to compete against the world’s best athletes, but deep inside, I feel confident following my performance over the last one and half years.”

In May, Nyirarukundo made history after becoming the first Rwandan female athlete to win the half marathon in the Kigali International Peace Marathon since the inception of the annual event in 2005.

Two weeks later, she set a new national record in 5000m during the Nijmegen Global Athletics Championships that took place on June 4 in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

In Nijmegen, Nyirarukundo finished fifth posting 15 minutes, 34 seconds and 91 microseconds hence breaking a nine-year national record that was set by Angelina Nyiransabimana in 2008 at Jerez de la Frontera Gran Premio Andalucia in Spain.

Nyiransabimana had posted 15 minutes, 43 seconds and 89 microseconds. Nyirarukundo qualified for World Championships during her debut at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

editorial@newtimes.co.rw