Samaria plans her ‘comeback’ year

MIDDLE distance runner Agnes Samaria will take this year “step by step” after recovering well from a serious knee injury that kept her on the sidelines for the most of last season.

She told The Namibian Sport she plans to go to the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece in August. “For now I am in a positive mood and I want to take it slowly but surely.The results of the races in which I will compete will be able to show me how I perform”.Samaria, who was among the top ten 800 metres runners in the world after impressive performances at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester (bronze) and the Senior African Championships in Tunisia (silver) in 2002, has now dropped to 25th mainly because of inactivity due to injury.The 800-metres specialist will start her year’s racing with an indoor race in Erfrut, Germany on January 29, before she proceeds to a similar race in Stuttgart (Germany) on January 31.Her next indoor race will be on February 8 in Ghent, Belgium, before she returns home to prepare for the World Indoor Championships that will take place in Budapest in Hungary from March 5 to 7.One of her highlights last year was when she beat Olympic silver medallist Stephanie Graf into second place at a Stuttgart International meet.The Namibian won the 800-metre event in two minutes 1,77 seconds, 0,16 ahead of Graf.That race proved that she was ready for business at the beginning of last season, but a sudden knee injury dogged the rest of the season.She competed in the World Championships in Paris in August, but did not make the 800m final.Samaria missed out on the All Africa Games, which took place in Abuja, Nigeria last October, as she needed to recuperate.The 32-year-old former teacher said it was unfortunate that there were no races in Namibia prior to her participation on the international scene this year.”I have to throw myself into the deep end.I also do not know against who I will be lined-up for the races in Germany,” she said.She says that indoor championships will also be a good testing ground as she wants to do well during the outdoor season just before the Olympics.”For now I am in a positive mood and I want to take it slowly but surely. The results of the races in which I will compete will be able to show me how I perform”. Samaria, who was among the top ten 800 metres runners in the world after impressive performances at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester (bronze) and the Senior African Championships in Tunisia (silver) in 2002, has now dropped to 25th mainly because of inactivity due to injury. The 800-metres specialist will start her year’s racing with an indoor race in Erfrut, Germany on January 29, before she proceeds to a similar race in Stuttgart (Germany) on January 31. Her next indoor race will be on February 8 in Ghent, Belgium, before she returns home to prepare for the World Indoor Championships that will take place in Budapest in Hungary from March 5 to 7. One of her highlights last year was when she beat Olympic silver medallist Stephanie Graf into second place at a Stuttgart International meet. The Namibian won the 800-metre event in two minutes 1,77 seconds, 0,16 ahead of Graf. That race proved that she was ready for business at the beginning of last season, but a sudden knee injury dogged the rest of the season. She competed in the World Championships in Paris in August, but did not make the 800m final. Samaria missed out on the All Africa Games, which took place in Abuja, Nigeria last October, as she needed to recuperate. The 32-year-old former teacher said it was unfortunate that there were no races in Namibia prior to her participation on the international scene this year. “I have to throw myself into the deep end. I also do not know against who I will be lined-up for the races in Germany,” she said. She says that indoor championships will also be a good testing ground as she wants to do well during the outdoor season just before the Olympics.