Paris 2024: Peres keeps faith in her teammates as they battle to bring back women marathon gold

Peres Jepchirchir when she won gold at the 2020 Olympics. [AFP]

For Olympic marathon defending champion Peres Jepchirchir retaining her title in Paris on Sunday (9am) looks more difficult, but she is determined to make the impossible possible.

Jepchirchir will be in company of a strong Kenyan team made of debutant Sharon Lokedi and Hellen Obiri as they target to secure a clean sweep at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Lokedi, who is New York marathon winner, and Obiri, twice world 5000m champion and twice Olympic 5000m silver medallist, have both been in good form.

Obiri clinched Boston Marathon on her debut at the distance in 2023, clocking 2:21:38 then lifted the New York title before retaining her Boston title in 2:22:37 this year.

But the Kenyans face stiff competition from Ethiopia’s world record holder Tigist Assefa ( 2:11:53), Megertu Alemu and Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan who has failed to win gold in her last track races (5,000m and 10,000m) in the French capital.

Other medals hopefuls are Kenyan-born duo of Rose Chelimo and Eunice Chumba.

However, having ruled the streets of Sapporro three years ago before winning this year’s London Marathon with a women’s only world record of 2:16:16, Jepchirchir feels she is in a better position to replicate that performance on the final day of the Games in Paris.

"It's my dream to defend the title despite the tension. Expectations are high at home but we have a strong team. I am grateful to run alongside these colleagues. My prayer is to have all of us on the podium,” Jepchirchir said at the Olympic Village on Friday.

“It will be unbelievable if I defend my title. It will mean a lot though it'll not be easy. I have a lot of tension though this is a different kind of racing (from city marathons) since I am running for my country. It's a tough and stressful one."

And for Lokedi, who was initially named as reserve to Jepchirchir, Obiri and Brigid Kosgei before she was elevated to the traveling squad following Kosgei’s late withdrawal, the Olympics is a perfect chance to prove her worth.

"It's a dream come true, an opportunity like no other," said Lokedi.

"I will use it as much as I can, have fun out there as I represent my country. I am looking forward to it. I have been watching people and cheering them on and now it is our turn.

"We want to go out there, work together and show our strength as a team. And in the end, we lift the flag together. I think that'll be magical.”

She continued: "It hasn't been easy though. I have worked so hard. I would come close and then I am not quite there. I tried when I was still running in the track but I never got in (Team Kenya). I decided to go to the roads and here I am.

"It's about the persistence and fighting through the challenges, wanting the best and not giving up, getting up every morning and be like ‘I can get this done’.”

Meanwhile, the poor, rural hometown of Algerian boxer Imane Khelif erupted in joy on Friday as she won gold at the Paris Olympics in the face of a major gender controversy.

Cheers of Khelif's name and the country's famous chant "one two three, viva l'Algerie" broke out in Biban Mesbah, a town of around 6,000 people.

"It's Algeria's victory," her father, Omar Khelif, told reporters as he watched the fight on a giant screen along with the rest of the village around 300 kilometres (185 miles) southwest of Algiers.

Villagers fired shots into the air in honour of 25-year-old Khelif’s first Olympic medal following her victory over China's Yang Liu in the women's 66kg final.

The jubilation also spread to the capital Algiers, where crowds invaded the city centre, celebrating the victory with fireworks and a chorus of car horns.

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune joined the celebrations on social media site X, saying: "We are all proud of you, Olympic champion Imane, your victory today is Algeria's victory and your gold is Algeria's gold."

Ahead of Khelif’s fight, hundreds of volunteers turned out in Biban Mesbah to help prepare for the big night.

Despite scorching temperatures of 46 degrees Celsius (114 degrees Fahrenheit), the men carried out a vast clean-up operation while dozens of women were busy cooking a giant couscous.

"We agreed to give the village a new face and breathe new life into it, with the victory of Imane Khelif," her cousin Mounir Khelif, 36, told AFP.

"We all helped each other, some bringing couscous, others oil and vegetables, while those who couldn't help with provisions helped with the preparation," said Amina Saadi, 52, a mother of six.

"We are all united behind Imane Khelif, who has honoured Algeria, that's the least we can offer her", she said.