Athens Olympic women's marathon champion Mizuki Noguchi departed for Switzerland on Wednesday for her final training camp ahead of the world championships in Moscow in August.
The diminutive runner left Kansai International Airport on her 35th birthday for St. Moritz, the same Alpine region where she suffered an injury that prevented her from defending her Olympic title in Beijing in 2008.
"This is the final stage so it (training) will be more about quality than quantity," Noguchi told reporters. "Beijing is something that crossed my mind but I won't be able to compete seriously if I only train moderately.
"I will train thoroughly while listening to what my body is telling me."
After the camp, Noguchi will continue her preparations in Frankfurt before heading to Moscow.