The 2023 athletics season has really gotten off to a fast start, as both world records and Finnish records have been broken, especially in running distances. Internationally, the biggest name in the early season has been the 29-year-old Faith Kipyegon.
Kipyegon was born in the Rift Valley, in the small town of Keringeti. Kipyegon was the eighth of nine children in the family. His father Samuel Koech had competed in 400 meters and 800 meters, but the international breakthrough was not made.
As a child, Kipyegon played soccer until he realized his gift as an endurance runner during physical education classes at school.
In 2011, Kipyegon won the Junior World Championship gold at the Cross-Country World Championships in Punta Umbria, Spain – barefoot.
Kipyegon had already competed in the World Championships in 2010 in Poland, finishing fourth. Then he was in trouble on the Treacherous platform. In Spain, the Kenyan was able to run on the surface of his choice, as the entire distance was grass.
– I have always run without shoes. I got my first pair of shoes last year. But the shoes slowed me down because they were too big. I tried to practice with them, but they were no help. I run free and fast without shoes, Kipyegon said in 2011.
The first prize competition win for adults – Olympic gold
Early on, Kipyegon was also successful on track trips. It unexpectedly earned him a place at the London Olympics at the age of 18, as part of Kenya’s ultra-tough endurance running team.
Kipyegon still had no chance of success. He missed the 1,500 meter preliminaries with a time of 4:08.78, but his rise to stardom had begun.
In 2015, at the World Championships in Beijing, Kipyegon took his first adult medal when he was second in the 1,500 meters. There was still time for Ethiopia Genzebe Dibabawho had run ME’s 3:50.07 in the same summer.
Kipyegon looked to his countryman as a role model Vivian Cheruiyotiawho won his first career Olympic gold in the 5,000m in Rio in 2016. This gave Cheruiyot an Olympic gold 16 years after his Olympic debut.
It only took four years for Kipyegon, because in Rio the setting of the previous year’s World Championships was reversed. In the slow and tactical final of the 1,500m, Kipyegon beat Dibaba with his 200m sprint.
In 2015, Kipyegon had started a collaboration with the Dutch 800m European champion By Bram Som with. Som made changes to Kipyegon’s training, such as increasing strength training and focusing on quality instead of slower-paced runs.
– I was impressed by his professional attitude and dedication. I have not seen the same with many African athletes. And of course, physically, he’s a little miracle. He adapts to training very quickly and recovers much faster than the average athlete, Som said.
Som did not want to estimate how hard Kipyegon could run on different distances.
– Time is the result of going to every race to win. We focus on winning! Of course I know what it takes to win gold medals, Som charged confidently.
And Kipyegon kept winning. At the 2017 World Championships in London, he was already the early favorite at 1,500 meters and withstood the pressure.
Motherhood, a break of more than a year and a change of coach
Shortly after the World Championships, Kipyegon retired from the track. In June 2018, a daughter was born, Alyn. Kipyegon is married to the 800m bronze medalist at the 2012 London Olympics By Timothy Kitum with.
Although Kipyegon had also carefully weighed the financial and competitive aspects, he was afraid to retire from the tracks as a dominant Olympic and World Cup winner.
– I was afraid that I might just disappear and not be able to return to the tracks. But I was very determined. I said to myself: “Let me do this, starting a family is everyone’s joy”.
Kipyegon didn’t run for a whole year: four months before giving birth and eight after. After a long break, Kipyegon started strengthening his legs and core under the guidance of a physiotherapist.
Kipyegon’s calcium levels were closely monitored because she was breastfeeding. He was also worried about his weight, because his competition weight had been 45 kilograms, but now at the beginning of training it was 63.
During the break, the coach had also changed. Nowadays, Kipyegonia is a pilot Patrick Sangwho also coaches the marathon superstar, the ME man Eliud Kipchoge.
It is said that sometimes there is a spark in Sangi’s training, because Kipchoge and Kipyegon are both die-hard Premier League fans. Kipchoge supports Tottenham, Kipyego’s other London club Arsenal.
When Kipyegon returned to the tracks in 2019, he went harder than ever. At the 2019 World Championships in Doha, he ran a new Kenyan record of 3:54.22 in 1,500 meters, but the Dutch Sifan Hassan was even louder. Since then, Kipyegon has been virtually invincible.
According to Kipyegon, getting back into top shape wasn’t easy, but it was worth all the effort.
– Life is of course different now than before. It took time to adjust, to find a balance between motherhood and sports. Yes, it’s hard to come back, but you don’t have to lose hope. Remind yourself that you were a good athlete before, you can be again, was Kipyegon’s advice.
– The biggest difference my daughter made was in my thinking. He gave me the motivation to give him what he needs in the future – education and stuff like that.
Even the three-year-old daughter Alyn already understood her mother’s career during the Tokyo Games. During the Games, he had said to his mother on the phone that “bring me a gold medal”.
– Nowadays, when we have guests, my daughter tells them: “This is mine.” This is my medal that my mother brought from Tokyo”.
Finally WE
However, one thing was missing: a world record. Last year, Kipyegon came within three tenths of Dibaba’s 1,500m ME time when he ran 3:50.37 in the Monaco Diamond League. It was a moment of great disappointment for the Kenyan. Even as he crossed the finish line, he thought he was going to beat ME.
Disappointment gave a gust of motivation for the 2023 season. There was a shake-up in the Florence Diamond League competition at the beginning of June. Kipyegon was the first woman to break 3:50, and the ME time is now 3:49.11.
– The world record was on my mind since last year, but I wanted to approach it calmly to see what is possible this year. I can not believe this! Now I have achieved what I wanted and what was in my heart and mind, Kipyego wrote.
And when Kipyegon got up to speed, a week later in the Paris Diamond League, he had a real bang.
Kipyegon had not finished a 5,000m race in eight years. Now he improved his record by 26 seconds at 14:05.20. Ethiopian Letesenbet Gideyn the world record from 2007 was improved by 1.42 seconds.
If the ME of 1,500 meters was a dream but also a realistic goal, the ME of 5,000 meters came as a shock to the runner himself.
– I just wanted to improve my own record. I just ran after Gidey, she’s an amazing woman. This is amazing.
In Kenya, Kipyegon’s recent feats did not go unnoticed. Based on social media, Kipchoge and the rest of Sang’s coaches wildly celebrated the woman’s ME results.
President of Kenya William Ruto also organized a reception for Kipyegon. The runner received five million Kenyan shillings, or about 33,200 euros, for his ME time of 1,500 meters. For the 5,000 meter record, Kipyegon got a house worth six million shillings, or about 40,000 euros.
– I can finally get my father a car, Kipyegon said.
More history, then to the marathon?
Kipyegon will continue to update the history books. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she can become the first woman in history to win Olympic gold in the same track and field three times. One man has succeeded in Tempus, Usain Bolt.
After that, Kipyegon will turn his eyes to longer trips. He has said that he was inspired by the performance of the marathon stars under Sangi’s coaching.
– I want to see the next level of my career, Eliud Kipchoge’s marathon level. Training with him has been special.
Sang, on the other hand, has praised Kipyegon as a rare athlete in many ways in today’s world.
– Even if the environment is gloomy, in an instant people become laughing when Kipyegon enters the crowd.
Sources: Nation.Africa, Athletics Weekly, World Athletics, World Athletics, Runners World, Yahoo Sports, BBC, Olympics.com