Kenya established its dominance in track and field once more this week as three of its outstanding athletes received World Athletics awards, including Faith Cherotich, a 19-year-old who specializes in the 3000-meter steeplechase event.
Who is Faith Cherotich?
Hailing from a country that’s produced numerous world-class athletes, Cherotich burst into the senior-level scene of the World Athletics Championships in August of this year. And despite competing against the world’s best steeplechasers, Cherotich didn’t hold back. In the Heat 2 qualifiers, Cherotich placed first with a time of 9:19.55, edging past Ethiopia’s Sembo Almayew by a mere 0.05 seconds.
In the finals, Cherotich competed alongside her well-seasoned compatriots, world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech and 2022 Commonwealth Games champion Jackline Chepkoech, and sought to recapture the title seized by Kenya’s Kazakhstani Norah Jeruto in Oregon last year.
In her brilliant display of athleticism, Cherotich proved that her youth, matched with her mettle and prowess, can outpace a formidable field of steeplechasers. The then-18-year-old finished the race with an astounding record of 9:00.69, her new personal best, and clinched bronze in the event.
Cherotich’s achievements before World Athletics
At a young age, Cherotich was already poised to become one of Kenya’s up-and-coming star athletes. Because, even before winning a bronze medal at the world championships, she had already won two paramount international titles. First, she won a bronze medal in the girls 3000m steeplechase in front of a raucous crowd at Kasarani Stadium at the World U-20 Championships in Nairobi in 2021.
The following year, she relished the pride of yet another career achievement, earning gold in a similar tournament in Cali, Colombia.
Cherotich also left her imprint on the world U20 outdoor chart, finishing first with a time of 8:59.65, which she set at Hayward Field in Oregon, USA.
This year, after competing in the World Athletics Championships, she entered the senior-level standings and placed fourth.
Female Rising Star winner 👑
Faith Cherotich 🇰🇪 is your Female Rising Star of the Year 🙌#AthleticsAwards pic.twitter.com/Xl1yIEMzUC
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) December 11, 2023
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