Fresh from winning a 3,000m bronze medal at the World Under 20 Championships in Cali, Colombia, Nancy Cherop has now turned her focus on next year’s World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst, Australia.
Cherop said she was not satisfied with the bronze medal and will therefore seek to make amends Down Under.
“I did not expect to win the bronze medal. I wanted the title," she said. "I am not resting until I get what I want. Right now, I want to start extensive training as I wait for the Cross Country Championships where I hope I'll do better.”
She added that placing second during the national trials at Nyayo Stadium last month was also something she had not anticipated.
"I was not impressed by my performance during the trials because I wanted to be number one," she said.
Cherop was in the company of Betty Chelangát who won gold in 9:01.03. Ethiopia’s Tsiyon Abebe spoilt the pattern by bagging silver in 9:03.85 as Cherop settled for third place (9:05.98).
Meanwhile, Cherop has revealed how teamwork, alongside Betty Chelangat, delivered the gold and bronze medals for Kenya.
“Chelangat and I worked together. We coordinated the race well and that’s why we won. Working individually would have been risky to our chances of medaling,” Cherop said.
She observed that the Ethiopian duo of Tsiyon Abebe and Bertukan Welde posed a major threat since they had fast personal best times.
“I was scared of them but our plan worked well even though we did not settle for the 1-2 positions,” she said.
The Cali outing was her first major championship and Cherop said she picked a few lessons along the way.
“Perseverance is important, especially in the long-distance races. Teamwork is also crucial,” she said.
Cherop looks up to two-time world 5,000m champion Hellen Obiri.
“I used to hear about her a lot until I got to see her run. She has accomplished a lot in her career and I want to follow in her footsteps,” she said.
