- Kenyan 5000M world record holder Faith Kipyegon is glad that she broke two world records in a week
- she met Kenya’s President William Ruto at State House on Tuesday where she was gifted $35,842 (Sh5 million) cash reward
- She also got a house in Nairobi valued at Sh6 million
Kenyan 5000M world record holder Faith Kipyegon is glad that she broke two world records in a week because she will now fulfil a promise she made to her father.
Just before jetting out of the country for the Florence Diamond League, in Italy, Kipyegon promised to buy her father a car if she won the race.
She went on to break two world records; in Florence and in Paris in just seven days.
With her crown of success, she met Kenya’s President William Ruto at State House on Tuesday where she was gifted a $35,842 (Sh5 million) cash reward and a further $43,000 (Sh6 million) house in Nairobi.
Kipyegon was flanked by her husband Timothy Kitum and their son when they met Ruto at the breakfast meeting.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and the Kenyan Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba were also in attendance.
The Head of State promised to honour and reward excellent athletes who set world records while praising Kipyegon for her accomplishments and for raising the nation’s flag high.
“To acknowledge her accomplishments, the government will grant Kipyegon a cash reward of Sh5 million and a house valued at Sh6 million for breaking two world records. Additionally, a new policy will be introduced to award Kenyan athletes who set world records a sum of Sh5 million,” the President said.
Faith Kipyegon with President William Ruto. Photo/William Samoei Ruto
HOW HARD WAS IT FOR FAITH KIPYEGON TO BREAK THE 5000M WORLD RECORD?
Faith Kipyegon says that she never believed she could break the world record. She recalled having a conversation with her coach about this but she gave it all her best.
The mother of one broke previous marks in the women’s 1500m and 5000m races. She set the world record for the 5000-meter race on June 9 at the Paris Diamond League with a timing of 14:05:20, making history as the first female Kenyan to do so.
With just 600 metres left in the race, Kipyegon outran Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia, who held the previous record. This is no mean feat and she says it is all a happy ending due to her hard work and focus but she didn’t get to the race with a world record in mind.
“I do not know how I made it. I just focused on the green light and tried to stay relaxed and enjoy the race. I just did the race and wanted to see what happens, when I saw that it was a WR [world record] I was so surprised,” she said after the race.
DID FAITH KIPYEGON BREAK WORLD RECORD IN FLORENCE ITALY?
The Kenyan athlete says June 2 is the best day in her life after breaking the women’s 1500 metres at the Florence Diamond League, in Italy. She recorded a new world record of 3:49:11 and crushed the previous 3:50.07 set by Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia in Monaco in 2015.
It was incomprehensible for her that she managed to achieve a long-held childhood dream.
Posting a new world is something she eyed in 2022 but she decided to take it slow and 2023 was the year she did it.
“I am really thankful, today was a wonderful day in which everything came together. The world record was in my mind since last year, but I wanted to approach it slowly by slowly to see what was possible this year,” she wrote on her Facebook page.
She added: “I can’t believe it! Now I have achieved what I wanted and what was in my heart and in my mind. All the athletes waiting for me at the finish line made me emotional. Thanks so much for all the support, it means a lot.”
Kipyegon is a two-time Olympic Gold medalist and a double world champion making her one of Kenya’s finest female athlete. She tops her on-track prowess with a laidback personality. Her family is her fort and spends a lot of her time with them.
She said in a past interview that her son and husband motivate her to be better and give each race her best.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login