Kipyegon eyes two tickets to Paris Olympics

World record holder for the women's 1500m and mile, Faith Kipyegon (R) bumps fists with her trainer, distance-running coach and former Kenya steeplechaser, Patrick Sang (2nd L) following a training session at the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret on May 4, 2024.[AFP]

Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon will open her track season at Nyayo Stadium during the Olympic trials on Friday and Saturday as she eyes to pick two tickets to Paris next month.

Apart from Kipyegon, a number of athletes will be hoping to represent the country in two races at the Olympics.

After completing historic doubles at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest by winning 1500m and 5000m gold, the world record holder will be confident of doing the same in Paris, but will first face tough challenge at the trials.

The two-time Olympic champion heads to the dense 5000m field with a lot of experience after enjoying a great 2023 season and will face up with the newly crowned world 10,000m record holder Beatrice Chebet, the ever present Margaret Chelimo, fast rising Agnes Jebet Ngetich, Edinah Jebet among others.

Last month Kipyegon disclosed that a muscle injury had interrupted her training for the season that forced her to miss the first three legs of the Diamond League in Xiamen on April 20, Doha on May 10 and Prefontaine Classic on May 25.

Both Chebet and Chelimo clinched Paris Games tickets in women’s 10,000m at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League last month and will be keen to book the 5,000m tickets.

At the Prefontaine Classic Chebet became the first woman in history to run under 29 minutes, but also the fast Kenyan woman to hold a world record in 10,000m.

Chebet also shattered the national records of 29:32.53 held by the 2011 world 10,000m and 5,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot  which she set at the 2016 Rio Olympics Games.

Meanwhile, Africa 100m recorder holder has promised to light up Nyayo Stadium with fast times and has called on his 4x100m relays team to put up extra effort to ensure the Kenya takes a relay team to Paris Games.

“The memory of last year Olympics Trials at Kasarani Stadium is still fresh in my mind, that was a game changing performance. I have been away in Europe and America for competitions and training and I feel great as we head to the trials. My fans should turn up in large numbers to witness the Mini Olympics as Kenya still has a chance to qualify for the Olympics in 4x100m relays. There are still two slots to be filled and we hope the boys are putting extra effort to ensure we can get the chance,” said Omanyala.

Kenyan teams failed to qualify for Olympic Games after failing to make the finals of the World Athletics Relay Championships in Nassau, Bahamas last month.

The finalists were guaranteed a place at the Paris Games scheduled for July 26 to August 11, 2024 , but none of the Kenyan sides managed to attain qualification.

However, Athletics Kenya is hopeful the presence of foreign athletes at the Olympic trials will help Kenya’s relay teams attain qualifying standard for Tokyo Olympics. The foreign teams invited dor the trials include Botswana, Uganda, Southern Sudan.