Kenyan athlete and world 1500M champion, Faith Kipyegon has qualified for this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo in an astounding fashion.
Kipyegon who is the reigning world champion in the 1500M category is also looking to defend her title at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2021. She qualified for the prestigious competition by winning the Kenyan Trials in 4:02.10 on Thursday (17 June).
It was no mean feat. To qualify, she had to finish in the top two, and also run faster than the qualifying standard. Kipyegon who recently turned 27, prevailed at the games and qualified for her third Olympic game in as many trials.
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Her journey to stardom has not been an easy walk. However, at her debut game in London in 2012, she came a distant 21st overall. She has also returned stronger four years later to win gold in Rio. Kipyegon’s qualification means she will be up against some of the biggest names in the 1500M women’s category. She would be up against Dutch world champion Sifan Hassan at the tournament.
The 27-year-old multiple award winner is however not scared of taking on a challenge.
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“It was a really good race here, which I really wanted to win. I know I will meet many good athletes in Tokyo but I have prepared really well.” She told Athletics Kenya.
“My focus is to defend my Olympic title in Tokyo.”
Faith Kipyegon is ready for #Tokyo2020 after comfortably winning the 1500m with 4:02.10 at the Kenyan Championships?
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) June 20, 2021
Born on the 10th of January 1994, Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon is a Kenyan middle-distance runner and the current Olympic champion in the 1500 m women’s category. In 2016, she took the world by storm when she won gold in Rio in the women’s 1500M category. A year later, at the 2017 World Championships in London, she again prevailed with Gold.
She however came on short in 2019 when she won a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships.
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Kipyegon’s other medal’s include a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland with she won with a record time of 4 minutes 08.94 seconds.
She also won the women’s junior race in the World Cross Country Championships in 2013. She has competed in several athletic games during her prolific career on the tracks. All eyes will be on her at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics which was rescheduled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kipyegon is also on the list of the Most Inspiring Youth on the Continent – Africa 500.
