Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has given Faith Kipyegon a heroic welcome following her being named the World Female Athlete of the Year for Track Events.
Kipyegon has also been voted the Star Person of the Year, an annual award that recognizes remarkable people in the country who have made an impact in society.
Kipyegon secured the highest votes, a record 228 nominations from the public out of the 2,123 nominations that were received.
Speaking to breakfast show radio presenter Maina Kageni, an elated Kipyegon expressed her joy in breaking world records in 2023, adding that ‘the achievements were manifestations of goals she wrote down at the beginning of the year’.
Kipyegon’s achievements
The 29-year-old broke three world records. The President on Jamhuri Day awarded her with the highest state honour, the Order of the Golden Heart of Kenya (EGH), for breaking two world records in a year.
Kipyegon set world records at an incredible three distances during a season in which she also achieved a golden double at the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23.
Kipyegon improved the world 1500m record to 3:49.11 in Florence, taking almost a full second off the previous mark. Just one week later, and despite having raced the 5000m just twice before, she improved the world record for that event, too, clocking 14:05.20 in Paris to shave 1.42 seconds from the old record.
Her third world record came in Monaco, where she smashed the previous mile mark by five seconds, clocking 4:07.64. Then, in Budapest, she won her third senior world 1500m title and her first world 5000m crown.
Kipyegon also made the list of the top trending searches by Kenyans at number six after she won the World Athletics Championships 1500m and 5000m titles, completing a remarkable distance double and becoming the first woman ever to complete a 1,500-5,000 meters double at the World Championships.
Kenyans and athletics enthusiasts around the world celebrated Kipyegon’s achievements.
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