ATHLETICS - The African Mirror

Jul

30

2024

Road to Paris: South Africa’s rising women marathoners will be chasing Olympic glory in Paris

ATHLETICS

AS athletes arrive in Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games, South African distance-running talent Cian Oldknow is hopeful she will transcend a recent setback, harnessing the unwavering energy of her supporters with the promise of Olympic glory. Following the old African proverb ‘It takes a village…,’ twenty-seven-year-old Oldknow was surprised and heartened to see and hear her supporters, dubbed 'Cian’s Army,' along the route of the Durban International Marathon, which doubled as the South African Marathon Championships in late April. “That was a complete surprise, but it certainly gave me a boost,” said Oldknow after breaking the tape in record…

Jul

27

2024

By WYCLIFFE W. NJORORAI SIMIYU

Faith Kipyegon is set to make Olympics history – what Kenya needs to do to keep producing athletes like her

ATHLETICS

KENYAN running star Faith Kipyegon is considered one of the greatest 1,500m athletes the world has ever seen. If she wins her third consecutive Olympic gold in Paris, she’ll become the first athlete in the history of the event to achieve this feat, male or female. She holds world records in the 1,500m and one-mile events and is a former world record holder in the 5,000m. Kipyegon is a shining example of Kenya’s global dominance in distance running. But, as a scholar who researches East African sports, her success raises a crucial question: how can Kenya ensure a flow of…

Jul

17

2024

By STEPHEN GRANGER, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Road to Paris: How Ethiopia is planning a return to Olympic Marathon glory

ATHLETICS

LESS than four weeks before the start of the Olympic Marathon takes off in Paris, the world’s leading marathon runners are engaged in their final preparations in various parts of the planet. ‘Camped’ in a comfortable hotel in Ethiopia’s northern suburbs are Kenenisa Bekele, Tigist Assefa and the power-packed Ethiopian squad, currently putting the finishing touches to what they hope will be their best-ever Olympic Marathon performance. The Ethiopian team boasts athletes of extraordinary caliber, such as Tamirat Tola, the reigning New York Marathon champion and gold medallist at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, alongside Gotytom Gebreslase, a 2022…

Jul

16

2024

By STEPHEN GRANGER, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Road to Paris: How South Africa is taking on East Africa’s marathon dominance

ATHLETICS

SOUTH African marathon stars Elroy Gelant and Stephen Mokoka are flipping potential intimidation into motivation as continental competitions elevate African distance running standards ahead of the Paris Olympic Marathon. Africa's marathon dominance by East African athletes has historically intimidated competitors from other parts of the continent - and around the world. However, as Gelant notes, this trend is shifting. “In the past, there has often been a fear of the east African athletes,” Gelant related shortly after his win at the Durban RUN YOUR CITY 10k last weekend. “Leading athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia are competing regularly in South Africa…

Jul

12

2024

By WYCLIFFE W. NJORORAI SIMIYU

Faith Kipyegon: from walking to school in rural Kenya to setting world athletics alight

ATHLETICS

FAITH Kipyegon has broken her own 1,500m world record just weeks ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics – where she has set her sights on her third consecutive gold over the distance. No athlete in history has won three Olympic 1,500m titles and it would make 2024 a huge year for the Kenyan star, who also competes in the 5,000m event. Kipyegon was in the headlines throughout 2023 - and particularly at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary. That’s because she broke three world records in less than two months on her way to Hungary, where she lifted…

Jul

11

2024

By The African Mirror

Former marathon star banned for 7 years in doping scandal

ATHLETICS

LAWRENCE Cherono, once the world's top-ranked marathon runner, has been handed a seven-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) for multiple anti-doping violations. The 35-year-old Kenyan athlete, who has won two major marathons and is the 12th fastest marathon runner in history, admitted to three Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs). The AIU found Cherono guilty of using the prohibited substance Trimetazidine, detected in an out-of-competition test on May 23, 2022. Trimetazidine, classified as a hormone and metabolic modulator, is known to enhance athletes' endurance and recovery time. In addition to the doping offence, Cherono was charged with tampering with the…

Jul

10

2024

By STEPHEN GRANGER, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Road to Paris: Ethiopia’s marathoners hope to relive legendary Olympic triumphs

ATHLETICS

WHEN Abebe Bikila ran barefoot over the cobbles in Rome to break the tape in the Olympic Marathon in world record time of 2hr 15 min 16 sec, he gave notice to the world of a sea-change in the sport of distance running. The year was 1960 and Bikila’s win signalled the start of African domination in the sport which has increased to a crescendo with the passing years and set a marker that many of his compatriots were to follow over the next six decades. At 28, Bikila became the second African to win Olympic marathon gold, following South…

Jul

08

2024

By The African Mirror

Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon breaks world record

ATHLETICS

KENYAN track star Faith Kipyegon has once again etched her name in the annals of athletics history, breaking her own world record in the women's 1,500 meters at the Diamond League meeting in Paris. The news has sparked jubilant celebrations across Kenya, where Kipyegon is hailed as a national hero. Kenyan President William Ruto lead in the nation in celebration. He said: "Faith Kipyegon has once again made history. Congratulations on breaking your own record in the 1500m race. Your victory is a testament to the rewards of hard work and determination, a valuable lesson to the aspiring young athletes…

Jul

02

2024

By STEPHEN GRANGER, BIRD STORY AGENCY

Eliud Kipchoge’s quest for a third Olympic gold is achievable – running experts explain

ATHLETICS

THE 2024 Paris Games are fast approaching and Kenyan marathoners are poised to shine, given the rich pool of talent in the country's Olympic team. Could this be 39-year-old Eliud Kipchoge's moment to make history as the first athlete to win three Olympic Marathon titles? The questions for Kenya's famed runners don't stop there, however. Another question is whether Helen Obiri could use the Paris games to upgrade her Olympic silver medal (she has two in the 5000m, from 2016 and 2020) to gold in the marathon to add to her world championship titles in 5000m and cross-country. Can Benson…

Jun

29

2024

By ADOLF KAURE, BIRD STORY AGENCY

The Namibian athlete with hopes of winning Paralympic gold

ATHLETICS

GREETED by cheers and hugs, Namibian para-athlete, Chris Kinda together with guide Kelvin Goagoseb was given a heroic welcome at the MTC Dome Indoor Sports Centre in Swakopmund after becoming the first para-athlete from Namibia to win a gold medal when at a Paralympic World Championships. Kinda dashed to victory in the 400m T11 event at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) World Championship held in Kobe, Japan from 17 to 25 May. “I told myself when I was still in Japan that I will dedicate this gold medal to my late mother during that moment I had so many mixed…