•Despite the awful outing in Poland, Chepkoech remains unfazed, saying she is determined to brush off the rust mainly occasioned by a string of injuries she suffered in the past.
•Chepkoech trashed speculations that she quakes in the boots in the presence of Yavi.
Image: FILE
Reigning World 3000m steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech has vowed to toil indefatigably for a podium finish at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games later in August.
In an exclusive interview on Thursday, Chepkoech expressed her desire to storm the gold medal in the premier global quadrennial showpiece set for the French capital.
“I’m already training extremely hard and I’m looking forward to finishing among the top three at the Olympics. I’d be thrilled to win a gold medal because I’m yet to grab any from the Games,” Chepkoech remarked.
The water and barrier race sensation made the remarks a couple of days after fizzling out to a disappointing fifth in the 1500m at the Orlen Copernicus Cup in Torun, Poland, on Tuesday night.
Despite the awful outing in Poland, Chepkoech remains unfazed, saying she is determined to brush off the rust mainly occasioned by a string of injuries she suffered in the past.
“I must say I felt disappointed and I noticed I’ve not fully regained my top form. I will try as much as I can to bounce back stronger in subsequent races this season,” Chepkoech stated.
Chepkoech said she can’t rule out the possibility of shattering her own world 3000m steeplechase record at the Paris Games.
The current 3000m steeplechase record which she set in Monaco in 2018 stands at 8:44.32, a feat that made her the first woman to break the 8:50 and 8:45 barriers.
She capped off her stellar year with yet another record in the 2000m steeplechase set at the Boris Hanzekovic Memorial – a World Continental Tour Gold meeting – in Zagreb. Here, she clocked 5:47.42 to smash the previous mark of 5:52.80 set by Gesa Felicitas Krause in 2019. “I’ve broken the world record before, so it’s something I can still accomplish again with determination,” Chepkoech said.
Recounting her feat, Chepkoech said she is grateful to have risen to such heights after shaking off the injury she sustained in 2022.
“I’m fortunate to get a second world record. My positive attitude in the wake of an injury I picked up earlier has finally paid off. I thank God for a brilliant season.”
Her impressive trophy cabinet includes the silver medal she bagged in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase at the Budapest 2023 World Championships in Hungary.
There, she finished second in 8:58.98 behind winner Kenyan-turned-Bahraini, Winfred Yavi who posted a world lead of 8:54.29.
Chepkoech trashed speculations that she quakes in the boots in the presence of Yavi.
Yavi gobbled the global headlines in the preceding season after clinching the World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, and the Prefontaine Classic, the Diamond League Meeting final.
“I’ve never organised my training sessions with any of my opponents in mind. My goal has always been to emerge the best in every race I choose to run,” she stated.