Jacob Krop: From Pokot South to Olympics arena

Kenya's Jacob Krop looks on after competing in men's 5000m final athletics event the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. [File]

World silver medallist Jacob Krop has come a long way; from a humble background in a remote Chepkunyuk village in West Pokot to making it to the 2024 Olympic Games.

To the 5,000m star, making history in the Games that kicks off this Friday is his main focus.

Krop bagged silver medal in 5,000m at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, USA and a bronze at the 2023 showpiece in Budapest.

In Eldoret, where he has been training ahead of  representing Kenya in the 5,000m at the Paris Olympics, Krop has been preparing for the global show alongside his teammate and longtime training mate Nicholas Kimeli.

“For now, the Olympics are drawing closer and my preparations have been smooth so far. It is my hope that the training will yield impressive results in Paris,” Krop says.

The 23-year-old is among stars set to launch their Olympic debuts in Paris.

He says the Paris Olympics will mark a new chapter in his long distance career.

At just 17 years of age Krop ran a 13:14.44 Personal Best as he grabbed a silver medal at the 2019 African Under-20 Championships in Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

“My target is to make my maiden Olympic participation a historic one by winning a medal. The Olympics makes you and your country proud and raises your status,,” says Krop.

In his West Pokot County and home village, Krop says expectations remain high, but he is not under pressure.

 “In West Pokot where I come from, the expectations are high and I have promised them I will do my best. I bagged silver at the 2022 World Championships and bronze last year and I can only hope for a better performance at the 2024 Olympic Games,” he goes on to say.

Apart from being his first Olympics, Krop says the Paris showdown means an opportunity to write history and join the exclusive club of Olympic medalists.

Earlier in July, Krop won the 3,000m contest at the Paris Diamond League, a showdown staged in the same city that will host the 2024 Olympics.

Krop won the 3,000m race in 7:28.83 - a personal best, beating Australian Stewart McSweyn (7:29.46) and American Sean McGorty (7:35.63), who placed second and third respectively. He missed the meet record set by Algerian Ali Saidi-Sief in 2000 by a second.

“The training towards the Olympics has been the best and I decided to test my form at the Paris Olympics and I confirmed that my body was responding well and I was in top shape. It gave me the hope that my performance at the Olympics would be better,” says Krop.

Yesterday, Athletics Kenya (AK) president Jackson Tuwei said the Kenyan squad was well prepared for the Paris Olympics.

Tuwei asked athletics enthusiasts not pile pressure on the Kenyan charges to deliver medals from the first day of the competition, and instead cheer up the team.

In 2021, during the 2020 Olympics, Kenyan fans were blamed for piling pressure, through social media, on the Kenyan team to win medals in Tokyo.

“As AK, we produced a team that we feel will represent the country so well.

“We want to wish all our athletes well. I want to ask one special request; let us not put our athletes under pressure. We wish them the very best of luck because they are well prepared,” the AK president said.

The 2024 Paris Olympics opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday.