How Chebet's 2024 Olympic double broke new barriers for Kenyan athletics

In the run-up to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, the spotlight on Kenya was firmly shone on Eliud Kipchoge and Faith Kipyegon.

The Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 champions were chasing history in France - the honour of becoming the first three-peat Kenyan Olympic champions. Kipyegon eventually achieved the milestone when she successfully defended her women’s 1,500m title to cement her status as Kenya’s most decorated Olympian in history.

The 30-year-old would have garnished her status had she not been beaten to the silver medal in the women’s 5,000m by her compatriot Beatrice Chebet. Against all odds, 24-year-old Chebet, a first timer at the biggest sporting competition on earth, returned home from Paris as the toast of her nation, as she became the first Kenyan to win two gold medals at a single Olympics.

“I always have faith and belief in myself,” the first time Olympian said after winning the 5,000m.

“I had never won a track title. But after breaking the 10,000m world record in Eugene at the Kenyan Trials for the Olympics, I felt unusually strong and motivated. That’s when I decided, ‘I want to double in Paris’,” she added.

After stunning Kipyegon and Dutch star Sifan Hassan with a flying last lap on August 5 in the women’s 5,000m final for her first gold, Chebet returned four days later to demolish the field in the 10,000m final. In mid-September, Chebet won the 5,000m final at the 2024 Diamond League final in Brussels, Belgium in 14:09.82, to add the elite circuit title to her Olympics double.

Her 2024 would have gone down in history as one of the most astonishing seasons in distance running had she managed to break the 5,000m world record on September 5 in Zurich. Lining up in the Swiss leg of the Diamond League, Chebet attempted to break the world record of 14:00.21 set by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay in 2023, and perhaps become the first woman under the 14-minute barrier.

Inspiration 

However, with pacing only to 2,000m and poor weather conditions, Chebet was unable to break the world record or her personal best of 14:05.92. But Chebet still managed to dip below 14:10 to win the race in a world leading time and a new meeting record of 14:09.52.

Inspired by her grandmother to take up running, the Kenyan has set high standards for herself with the aim of becoming the best. Besides becoming the first Kenyan to win double-distance Olympic gold at the same Games, Chebet is also the first woman in history to run 10,000m in under 29 minutes. Her world record of 28:54.14 was set in Eugene, Oregon on May 25 and was ratified by World Athletics on December 11.

She is also a three-time World Cross Country winner, opening the year by defending her senior women's title in Belgrade, Serbia, besides being the fastest woman on the road over 5km.

Following her success in Paris, Chebet was promoted to a Corporal on Merit by Douglas Kanja, Inspector General of the National Police Service, where Chebet serves as an officer. Still only 24, the Tokyo 2025 World Championships present the next frontier for the talented Kenyan to conquer.

But judging by her post on Instagram following her unforgettable outing in Paris, Chebet's mission is to return to defend her titles at the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Games.

"Paris 2024 has been an epic experience for me as a debutant, all thanks to God. Paris isn't just a City of Love, it's also the Golden City where I made history as the first Kenyan to win the 10,000m and the only woman to make it 2 for 2! "I came with dreams and all were realised in Paris as I leave as a double Olympic champion (5,000m/10,000m). Until next time au revoir Paris," Chebet wrote on her Instagram page.