Why Che****ch credits her season’s success to Faith Kipyegon

Senior world medalist in the 3000m steeplechase and reigning world U20 champion Faith Cherotich has explained the impact world record-breaker Faith Kipyegon has had on her career.

Cherotich, the women’s World Athletics Rising Star awardee for 2023, has said Kipyegon has mentored her and she would be happy to follow in her footsteps.

“Faith Kipyegon has been mentoring me on how to be a good athlete. I want to be a champion and follow her. She has been teaching me a lot. I really appreciate it," Cherotich told World Athletics.

After what was arguably a successful season, the teenager was named the winner of the World Athletics Rising Star, and the award was further motivation for the sensational youngster.

Kipyegon, on the other hand, received the World Athlete of the Year award for women’s track after setting three world records and earning two world titles.

Bright future predicted

Meanwhile, Valentijn Trouw, who manages Cherotich’s career, is confident the Kenyan runner will be a success story in the future.

“I think she is going to be a future star. She has all the ingredients. It reminds me that we are here with Faith Kipyegon and Faith Cherotich, and Faith Kipyegon, 10 or 12 years ago, was coming into athletics like Faith Cherotich is coming into athletics now.

“She is extremely talented. But besides that, she has a good mentality; she is calm and composed. She knows what she wants, and she is coming in gradually in a very nice way, but she has the future on her side," Trouw said.

The agent, however, said Cherotich had a difficult season, especially after being sidelined for six weeks.

“She has incredible opportunities. But she has had a tough year this year because she had a quite serious car accident at the beginning of the year.

"She was on her way to Eldoret to take a flight for one of the Diamond Leagues when a truck hit the car, and that took her out for about six weeks," Trou concluded.