Unstoppable Chebet out for more titles

Her performance graph this season remains on upward trajectory and there are no signs of it dropping anytime soon.

Commonwealth Games 5,000 metres champion Beatrice Chebet’s explosive show at the Stockholm Diamond League, where she won in her specialty omn Sunday, was her eight victory this year.

However, the 2022 world silver medallist downplayed the performance in the Swedish capital, saying she is focus is beyond the Diamond League and the national trials for the World Athletics Championships  which start on Friday at  Nyayo National Stadium.

Chebet exploded with a superb kick in the last 300m to win in Stockholm in 14:36.52, her eight successive win over the distance this year.    

“My dream is to replicate what my role model Hellen Obiri accomplished in 2019,” said the 23-year-old.

Obiri won her maiden senior women’s title during the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark in 2019 where Chebet claimed the under-20 crown. Obiri would then retain her  world 5,000m title in Doha, Qatar the same year.

True to her words, Chebet, who graduated from the Kenya Police Service Training College last year, won the senior crown during the World Athletics Cross Country Championships on February 18 in Bathurst, Australia.

After claiming silver at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon, United States of America last year, Chebet said she is focused on winning the world title scheduled in Budapest, Hungary.

“Even though I have a wild card to Budapest, it’s a requirement that we compete at the trials,” said Chebet, who qualified for the August 19-27 event by virtue of winning the world cross country title in Bathurst.

Interestingly, Chebet warmed up to Stockholm with victories in 1,500m both at the Kenya Police Service Championships on June 7 and the National Athletics Championships on June 24 in Nairobi.

She also won the women’s 3,000m in the Solo Diamond League in a personal best of 8:25.01 on June 15.  

“Distance track races are nowadays won by a kick hence my focus to sharpen my finishing power...it’s coming out nicely,” explained Chebet, the Kip Keino Classic 5,000m winner. “I thank God since it’s not easy to maintain shape from February to now.”

Chebet hopes for the best as she prepares for the national trials.

"You don't want to take chances in such events hence my opponents should expect a stiff challenge from me,"said Chebet.