While Kenyan Faith Kipyegon has been keeping fit during the lockdown, there is a definite yearning to return to competition for the 1500m runner.
“I’m hopeful of making a strong comeback. I miss serious athletics competitions,” Kipyegon told Nation Sport.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics Kipyegon at the age of 22 clocked 4:08.92 to take the gold medal in the women’s 1500m. Since then, Kipyegon has added a World Championship title in the women’s 1500m in London 2017, to go with her silver at last year’s edition in Doha.
Kipyegon by now would have been in her final stages of preparation for the Tokyo Olympics scheduled for July, but with the postponement of the quadrennial showpiece to next year, athletes have been forced to change their plans drastically.
“My campaign has been jolted by the arrival of the coronavirus pandemic which has halted sports globally but that will not bog me down.
“It is not easy for an athlete who has been consistent in training and strategising for major races for more than six months to adjust. However, as a true sportswoman, I’m now alive to the fact that the planned events will not be held this year.”
Kipyegon suffered a hip injury in the World Championships final last year but still clocked a 3:54.22 national record to finish second behind Sifan Hassan.
She reports no injury concerns at the moment, and will simply have to keep training without any competitive action on the immediate horizon.
“My body has been responding very well to my training schedule and I have no injury worries. I was banking on the good form to prepare for a good fight with my opponents in the Diamond League and the Olympics.”
In partnership with ANA and Sports Leo
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