Dj Vnyash
Paris 2024 Olympic champions, led by Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet, were welcomed with great fanfare at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport last night. The athletes, who made history in Paris, were joined by marathoners Peres Chepchirchir and Sharon Lokedi as they arrived to a jubilant reception organized by a government delegation that included the new Sports CS Kipchumba Murkomen, PS Eng Peter Tum, and NOC-K officials.
Faith Kipyegon, who broke her own 1500m record with a time of 3:51.29 at the Stade de France, expressed her joy at making history. She admitted that winning her third 1500m gold was challenging, especially after the drama surrounding her disqualification and subsequent reinstatement of her 5000m silver medal.
“Before heading to Paris, my main goal was to defend my 1500m gold and make history. I thank God I achieved that. The drama in the 5000m final motivated me to break the record,” Kipyegon said.
Kipyegon, who has not lost a 1500m race since 2021 and has won gold at the last four major championships, continues to etch her name in the World Athletics Hall of Fame. She now holds five of the ten fastest 1500m times in history.
“Standing on the podium as the greatest 1500m runner was a huge motivation, and I hope my achievements inspire young girls to become future world champions,” Kipyegon added.
Under Kipyegon’s leadership, Team Kenya finished 17th in Paris, with a total of 11 medals: 4 gold, 2 silver, and 5 bronze. Kipyegon plans to relax and spend time with her family before returning to training.
Beatrice Chebet, thrilled with her double gold in the 5000m and 10,000m in her Olympics debut, finished the 5000m race in 14:28.56, ahead of Kipyegon and Dutch legend Sifan Hassan. She went on to secure the 10,000m title with a time of 39:43.25, making her the first Kenyan woman to win Olympic gold in the 10,000m since the event was introduced in 1988. Chebet also became the third woman after Tirunesh Dibaba and Sifan Hassan to achieve the 5000m and 10,000m double at the Summer Games.
“Thank you for the warm welcome. Winning gold as a debutant Olympian is no easy feat, and I’m grateful to my family, coach, teammates, and everyone who supported me,” Chebet said.
She concluded the year with a world record in the 5km road race in Barcelona and retained her World Cross Country title in Serbia on March 30, which fueled her drive for the double gold in Paris.
“Success requires discipline, hard work, and support from family. I want to thank the government, NOCK, Athletics Kenya, my family, coach, and everyone who helped me achieve this,” Chebet added.
Sports CS Kipchumba Murkomen praised the athletes for their outstanding performance, stating, “I was delighted to join Kenyans in welcoming our Team Kenya athletes at JKIA after their remarkable performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics.” He also announced that President William Ruto will host a grand reception at the State House to honor the athletes’ incredible achievements.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who won gold in the 800m, Ronald Kwemoi, who took silver in the men’s 5000m, Benson Kipruto, who secured bronze in the men’s marathon, and Wiseman Were, who reached the men’s 400m hurdle semifinals, arrived this morning.
The athletes will have little time to rest, as they prepare for the Lausanne Diamond League in Switzerland on August 22, 2024, followed by the Silesia Poland League on August 25, 2024.
