Running News Daily
Running News Daily is edited by Bob Anderson in Los Altos California USA and team in Thika Kenya, La Piedad Mexico, Bend Oregon, Chandler Arizona and Monforte da Beira Portugal. Send your news items to bob@mybestruns.com Advertising opportunities available. Train the Kenyan Way at KATA Kenya. (Kenyan Athletics Training Academy) in Thika Kenya. KATA Portugal at Anderson Manor Retreat in central portugal. Learn more about Bob Anderson, MBR publisher and KATA director/owner, take a look at A Long Run the movie covering Bob's 50 race challenge.
Index to Daily Posts · Sign Up For Updates · Run The World Feed
Kenya's Beatrice Chepkoech 3000m Steeplechase world record holder wants to lower that record once things get back to normal
The coronavirus pandemic may have jolted Beatrice Chepkoech's lofty plans this season, but like a seasoned barrier racer she has quickly regained her footing and her sights for the big prize.
The 3,000m women’s steeplechase world record holder still maintains her goal of lowering her record when competition resumes.
Chepkoech was in fine fettle at the beginning of the season as she looked ahead to the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Her win in the World Indoor Tour in Dusseldorf where she broke the 1,500m national record was clearly a sign of things to come before Covid-19 put paid to any further ambitions, at least for now.
Catching up with her at her home in Besiobei village in Konoin, Bomet County, Chepkoech seemed to have come to terms with the virus’s disruption easily talking about her botched plans this season.
She said that this year she had targeted bringing home the Olympic Games women’s steeplechase gold medal, the only diadem missing from her cabinet.
“I started the season well by winning in 1,500m and setting the national record during the World Indoors Tour. I was using the races to prepare for the season and my focus was to start the Diamond League series in super form,” said the champion.
Chepkoech had signed up for the Doha Diamond League 3,000m race before it was cancelled due to the virus.
“The World Tour was postponed to next year with Diamond League races following suit. These thoroughly disrupted our plans. But what to do. We just adjust and plan ahead,” she said.
She had no problems engaging this writer on her plans, saying her meticulous planing for the season had more or less gone to waste after lockdown restrictions were imposed almost the entire globe following the outbreak of Covid-19.
Chepkoech said she had been doing easy training over the past few weeks but planned to step up her regiment from next week as she targets the new season.
“The current situation is not permanent. Things will normalise and I intend to come back even stronger.”
(05/04/2020) Views: 1,392 ⚡AMPby Bernard Rotich
