Junior Chespol eyes World Championship spot
Former World U20 champion Celliphine Chespol says her ambition is to qualify for the World Championships in Oregon scheduled for July 15th to 25th.
Chespol who has been on a recovery journey after a near-fatal accident early last year says she is nearing her top form
She was knocked down by a school bus while she was training in Ngong on April 7, 2021, an injury that denied her a chance to qualify for Tokyo Olympics.
She announced her return to athletics by destroying a strong field of 16 contestants in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase at Kasarani Stadium last September during the second edition of the Kipkeino Classic continental tour gold event.
The 2015 World Under 18 2,000m steeplechase champion has been training in Ngong and says she has already noted a lot of improvement.
“My speed has improved compared to last year when I was struggling a bit. I guess I came back from the accident a bit early and this was affecting my performance. However, I can only tell whether I am improving or not once I start running against other runners,” said Chespol .
who clocked 9:30.55 to win the category in the second edition of Kip Keino Classic Meet that attracted athletes from across the globe.
With the presence of Beatrice Chepkoech (world record holder), Fancy Cherono, Jackline Chepkoech (World Under 20 champion) and Hyvin Kiyeng, Chespol knows it will not be easy to predict the outcome during the Kenyan trials.
“The national trials are of course very difficult so it is not straightforward. For me, I can only rate my chances at the World Championships after securing my place in the team. I am eagerly awaiting my first track competition to gauge myself,” Chespol said.
Chespol has hinted she wants to defend her title at the Kip Keino Classic before moving to the Diamond League season
The 2017 World Cross Country under 20 bronze medallist spoke of the significance of these competitions to her fight for a ticket to Oregon. “The Kip Keino Classic is an opportunity to test yourself and identify any weak areas you need to improve on before the World Championships. I also competed in the just-concluded cross country series. However, for the track competitions, I will be running against steeplechase specialists and this is the perfect preparation,” she said
