Kenyan Faith Chepng’etich steps up preps for major races

Two-time Olympic 1,500 meters champion Faith Chepng’etich will on Monday compete in the 800m race at the FBK Games in Hengelo, the Netherlands.

She will battle it out with the world champion over the distance, Ugandan Halima Nakayi.

Chepng’etich said that she will be using the race to improve her speed in preparation for the World Athletics Championships that will be held in Eugene, Oregon, United States of America on July 15-24.

The world 1,500m silver medalist finished second behind Burundi’s Francine Niyonsoba in the 3,000m race at the Doha Diamond League on May 13.

And at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League held on Saturday in Eugene, Oregon, Chepng’etich ran a world-lead time of three minutes, 52.59 seconds (3:52.59) to win the 1,500m race.

“Competing in the 800m race is part of my training. I will be testing my speed as I prepare for the world championships in July. Speed is critical for a podium finish,” she told Nation Sport.

Chepng’etich will be looking to reclaim the world 1,500m title that she won during the 2017 edition held in London, but which she surrendered to Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands in Doha in 2019.

During the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games that were held last year, Chepng’etich defended her 1,500m title that she had previously won at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

In the 3,000m steeplechase, another top Kenyan athlete, Celliphine Chespol, will be seeking to qualify for the world championships.

The 2018 World Athletics Under-20 Championships winner in Tampere, Finland will be competing against Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai from Uganda, who will be participating in her fifth event this year.

During last week’s Prefontaine Classic, Eugene Diamond League, Chespol finished fifth in her specialty.

Kenyan-born Kazakhstani athlete Norah Jeruto won the race and another Kenyan-born Bahraini runner Winfred Yavi was second.

Chespol said that her season has started slowly, but she is getting back into shape. She said that the races she has participated in have helped her improve her performance.

posted Thursday June 2nd
by Bernard Rotich