Dj VnyashKenya anticipates a substantial medal haul at the Paris Olympics from its renowned athletics team, with iconic runner Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon carrying more expectations than most. She is anticipated to win two gold medals.
A two-time champion from the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Kipyegon is the standout star of Kenya’s track and field team, expected to secure the majority of the medals in Paris.
After delaying the season’s start due to a hamstring injury, Kipyegon, as she is known in competition, reaffirmed her ability to defend her Olympic 1500m title by breaking her own women’s 1500m record on July 7.
Competing at the Paris Diamond League, the 30-year-old raced on the same track that will be used for the Olympics, where she set her 5000m world record last year.
World Athletics ratified her new world record on July 27, a perfect send-off for the proud mother of daughter Aylin.
The exceptional Kenyan aims for an unprecedented Olympic double in the 1500m and 5000m, having won both events at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.
Kipyegon stated she felt no pressure ahead of her Olympic challenge, emphasizing that her main focus was staying healthy.
“When I am healthy, I know what I can achieve. I am fully focused on the Olympics because defending the title is challenging. My goal is to become a three-time Olympic champion, which is not easy,” she said.
“Winning gold would be highly significant, especially if I defend my title. It would inspire young girls and women worldwide to believe anything is possible. Defending my 1500m title in Paris would be historic. I don’t think anyone has defended that title three times. It would make history,” she added.
Kipyegon is coached by Patrick Sang, the 1992 Olympic men’s steeplechase silver medalist, who also coaches marathon great Eliud Kipchoge.
Sang believes that coaching superstars like Kipyegon and Kipchoge, who are now multiple Olympians, demonstrates that longevity is the new lesson in modern distance running.
Before her departure to France, Kipyegon expressed her satisfaction with her recovery and training. “I feel good after managing to recover from a slight injury. I thank God that everything is good. Hopefully, as a team, we will perform well in Paris,” she told local media after her final training session in Kaptagat on July 27.
In June, Kipyegon achieved victories in the 1500m and 5000m at the Kenyan Olympic Trials in Nairobi. She clocked 14:46.28 in the 5000m and 3:53.99 in the 1500m, the fastest women’s 1500m time ever at high altitude.
“I can confidently say I am ready to win both events in Paris after these victories. I have gained confidence and feel prepared to represent Kenya in the 1500m and 5000m,” the four-time world 1500m champion told Xinhua after the Kenya Trials.
Kipyegon’s journey from a student runner in local meets to global stardom began at the 2010 World Cross Country in Bydgoszcz, Poland. Running barefoot, she won gold in the junior 6km women’s race, starting a career that has earned her 17 gold medals for Kenya, making her the country’s most decorated female athlete.
“Discipline is crucial. We have many elite athletes in Kenya, but without discipline, hard work, and seriousness, you won’t succeed,” she said.
