Kenya: Beatrice Chebet Eyes Olympics, World Cross Glory in 2024

Nairobi — Reigning Commonwealth Games Champion Beatrice Chebet says her biggest ambitions in 2024 include battling to defend her World Cross Country Championships title as well as competing for a gold medal at the Olympic Games in Paris.

Chebet has been off to a flier in the new year, and at the turn of 2024, earned her first career record, breaking the world mark in the 5km road running.

She ran14:13 to smash the women’s world 5km record at the Cursa dels Nassos, a World Athletics Label road race, in Barcelona.

The 23-year-old improved on the previous women-only world record of 14:29 set by Ethiopia’s Senbere Teferi in Herzogenaurach on 12 September 2021, while her performance is also faster than the women’s world record set in a mixed race of 14:19, achieved by Ethiopia’s Ejegayehu Taye at the 2021 Cursa dels Nassos.

“I had prepared well for the race and I was really delighted to break the world record. It has given me a lot of motivation heading in to the new year,” Chebet said.

She starts off her global competitive season in Belgrade, Serbia, at the World Cross Country Championships where she hopes to defend the crown she won in Australia last year.

From there, her ambition will squarely lie on the Olympic Games, though she will still be competing in the Diamond League circuit and other track meets globally.

“My expectation this year is to defend the world cross title, and also focus on the Olympics. Hopefully this time, I can bring gold in the 5,000 and God willing everything is possible,” notes Chebet.

She adds; “I can’t rule out the possibility of going for the 5,000m track world record because it is something that can come anytime and any day. If it comes then I will be delighted. I will keep working hard and hopefully, I have a better season.”

If she qualifies, this will be Chebet’s first Olympic Games, having not competed at Tokyo 2020.