Kenya's Winny Bii of Texas A&M University leaps to a Kenya national triple jump record of 13.92 metres in New Mexico on February 1, 2025.
Kenya’s rising triple jump star Winny Chepng’etich Bii is literally growing in leaps and bounds and is now reaching for a place at the World Athletics Championships scheduled for September 13 to 25 in Tokyo, Japan.
After breaking her women’s triple jump national record for the fourth time on Saturday to realise her dream of joining the 14-metre club, Bii, a student at the University of Texas Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M), is now inspired to hit the World Athletics Championships qualifying standards.
A fortnight after bettering her record national record, Bii, 21, was at it again to down it with a massive jump of 14.01m to win the event at the Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational at the Clemson Indoor Track and Field Complex, Clemson.
The African Games triple jump silver medallist erased her national record of 13.92m set during the New Mexico Team Open held at the Convention Centre, Albuquerque, New Mexico on February 1 in Texas, USA.
The qualifying standard for women’s triple jump for the Tokyo World Championships is 14.55m.
“It’s amazing that I have finally joined the 14-m club but I think I can do much better when it comes to the outdoors, which presents a good atmosphere,” said Bii, who has vowed to qualify for Tokyo through the set distance and not world ranking.
Kenya's Winny Bii of Texas A&M University (facing camera) is congratulated after breaking the Kenya national triple jump record with a jump of 13.92 metres in New Mexico on February 1, 2025.
“Outdoor events have their advantages like the flow of wind. My jump will be much better in such conditions and I am looking forward to that. I need just to shave off 0.54m from my personal best,” said Bii, who wants to make history as the first Kenyan jumper to compete at the world championships.
Bii said that she knew the 14m mark was and all she needed was to make some adjustments on the runway.
“I have been working on my third phase of the jump, which is the leap and I have improved though not to the level that I really want,” said Bii.
“My hop and step were fine but the leap was too short. I fixed it and here are the results. It can get better.”
The Kenyan record holder attributes her improving performance to a change of school and coaches in June last year when she moved from Oklahoma State University to the University of Texas Agricultural and Mechanical (A&M).
Bii, who moved to the USA in 2023 on a sports scholarship, is now handled by Mario Sategna.
“My new school has one of the best teammates, who have been my support system,” said Bii, who broke the Kenyan record for the first time at the Arkansas Invitational, Randal Tyson Indoor Center, Fayetteville, on January 12 last year, with an effort of 13.49m.
Bii erased the previous national record of 13.05m that was held by Gloria Mulei, who set it on June 22, 2019, in Nairobi.
Bii went on to improve her national record with a jump of 13.66m at the Big 12 Indoor Championships at the Sports Performance Center, Lubbock, Texas on February 24 last year.
The first rising Kenyan star is ranked seventh in the world with her distance of 14.01m and is placed 49th in the world with 1,124 points.
