Kenya’s record-breaking running star Faith Kipyegon confirmed on Friday she will go for a 1,500m-5,000m double at the world championships in Budapest next month.
The 29-year-old smashed the world records in both events in June, running 3:49.11 in the 1,500m in Florence, and seven days later an explosive 14:05.20 in her 5,000m debut race at the Paris Diamond League.
Meet Arshia Goswami: The eight-year-old who lifts weights for fun
Kipyegon was back in sparkling form again on Friday when she clinched victory in the women’s 5,000m at the Kenyan trials for the world championships taking place in the Hungarian capital in August.
“I didn’t expect to win the 5,000m here today, as I did in Paris, but I did and I am happy about it,” said Kipyegon, who clocked a time of 14:53.90, ahead of Lilian Kasait and Margaret Chelimo.
“The 1,500m remains my favourite event but I am doing very well in the 5,000m. So I am going to double up in both the 1,500m and 5,000m in Budapest,” she said.
The last Kenyan athlete to double up at the world athletics championships was Vivian Cheruiyot, who won gold medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m in Daegu, South Korea in 2011.
Kipyegon, considered the greatest ever women’s 1,500m runner, won gold in the discipline at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games in 2021.
Comments
SHARE