Noah Kibet in a previous race/HANDOUT
The 2021 World Under-20 800m bronze medallist Noah Kibet is on a mission to punch his ticket to the Tokyo 2025 World Championships and rewrite his senior-level script.
Kibet, 21, is confident of dipping under the 1:44.50 qualifying standard as he lines up for key European meetings before the Kenyan trials.
He hopes to make a second appearance in the global showpiece after his debut at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, where he bowed out in the semi-finals with a time of 1:47.15.
Kenyan Emmanuel Korir claimed the world title after crossing the line in 1:43.71, leaving Algeria's Djamel Sedjati (1:44.14) and Canada's Marco Arop (1:44.28) in his wake. Olympic Champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi narrowly missed out on the podium, placing fourth in 1:44.54.
With his eyes firmly set on Tokyo, Kibet is burning the midnight oil to ensure he secures his ticket. "I have a few meetings in Europe, where I will be pushing to secure the qualifying time for Tokyo in the 800m (1:44.50)," Kibet said. "I am confident I can attain that in those meetings. After that, I will return to Kenya and start preparing for the trials."
After his last outing in Eugene, Kibet is ready to rewrite the script and charge for better results in Tokyo. "Having already represented the country in 2022, I feel confident that I can improve on my previous results. That experience of competing at such a stage is also very important, and it will push me.
"I am hoping for good health so that I can push to secure the qualifying time and a slot in Team Kenya for the World Championships."
To back his big dreams, the youngster has revamped his training blueprint.
"For the last two years, I have been doing a lot of speed work, but this year I have been working on my endurance. My speed is still there, so my coach is just looking at my graph and how I perform," Kibet said. His weekly grind reflects a meticulous mix of track work and gym sessions.
“On Monday, I focus on speed work and gym sessions, while Tuesdays are for light recovery. On Wednesday, I do hill sprints, and on Thursday, I do easy runs. On Friday, I do speed work and hit the gym again, while Saturdays are for a long run.”
Kibet’s 2025 campaign kicked off with a stint at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, where he clocked 1:48.90 to finish fourth in his semi-final heat, missing out on a place in the final. USA’s Josh Hoey (1:44.77), Belgium’s Eliott Crestan (1:44.81) and Spain’s Elvin Canales (1:45.03) bagged the medals.
Despite the early exit, Kibet drew positives: "I feel confident after the indoor Championships. I had a long off-season, so I decided to take part in the indoors to build up my preparations for the season. "Even elite athletes like Jakob Ingebrigtsen start with the indoors to gauge their form and build endurance for the season," he noted.
That sharpness was on full display during the final Athletics Kenya Weekend Meeting on May 16 at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, where Kibet surged to victory in the 800m, clocking 1:45.98. He held off seasoned campaigners Cornelius Tuwei (1:46.14) and Vincent Kibet (1:47.42) in a statement win.
