I almost quit, Celestine Biwott says as she eyes 3,000m steeplechase gold

Biwott was a student at AIC Cheptonon Secondary School, Nandi County, where she participated in athletics.

She is not only excited to don the national team colours, for the first time, but also looking forward to challenging her mentor and role model, world champion Winfred Yavi and the Kenyan brigade for the world title.

The World Athletics Championships are scheduled for September 13 to 21 in Tokyo, Japan.

Biwott, who finished fourth at the Kenyan trials for the world championships, was drafted to the team after the trials winner Faith Cherotich retained her Diamond League title on Thursday last week in Zurich.

The exploits by Cherotich, who is the Olympic and world 3,000m steeplechase bronze medallist, saw her earn a wild card to the world event, where Kenyans will now field four athletes.

Biwott had been put on the reserve list just in case Cherotich won the Diamond League final.

“This year has been a blessing. Winning both the KDF and national titles is such a big favour from God,” said Biwott, adding that she had prayed hard for Cherotich to win to give her a ticket to the world championships.

Biwott said she arrived in the country on the morning of the national trials, on July 22, after missing her flight while in transit in Doha from Belgium. “I was disadvantaged, but God is a God of second chances. I am happy that I was included in the team. I just want to prepare well with the rest of the team and put God first,” said Biwott, who will team up with Cherotich, Doris Lemngole and Pamela Kosgei in Tokyo.

But what are her chances as she comes face-to-face with Yavi and her compatriots?

“Yavi is my best friend. I have always looked up to her for advice and inspiration, but sports is a game and entertainment.

“Yavi will be happy if I beat her. She will be proud to have mentored a world champion,” said Biwott, who believes that Kenya can stage a podium sweep with proper planning.

Biwott faced Yavi for the first time at Night of Athletics in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, on July 19 this year, where she finished second behind the world champion.

Biwott embraced athletics back in form one in 2017, running 100m and 200m before transitioning to 5,000m the same year. She would then scale to steeplechase in 2018 after being fascinated by the hurdling part of the event.

However, after completing high school in 2021, Biwott didn’t have a camp to join, and that frustrated her. “The only one that existed was at school, and I was back home. That was a big challenge, and I thought of doing other things,” said Biwott.

Her first coach, Ian Kiprono, who was based at St Patrick’s Iten, could not let Biwott’s budding steeplechase talent go to waste, especially when the event was a preference of few athletes.

Kiprono sought assistance from Aron Toroitich, the Kenya Defence Forces distance coach based in Ngong.

“I took Biwott and high jumper Zeddy Jesire, who were then 17-year-olds, under my wings from Kiprono. It’s amazing how these two athletes have progressed well to be enrolled in the military and win national titles,” said Torotich. Jesire, the high jump national record holder, is now at Oklahoma State University, USA, on scholarship.

Toroitich, who describes the 21-year-old Biwott as hardworking, disciplined and self-driven, noted that the athlete is destined for greatness if she is to uphold her current status.

“She just needs to go and enjoy Tokyo with no pressure at all. After she missed the Paris Olympics trials last year, I told her that age was on her side and that there are many more editions to come,” said Torotich.

Biwott, who was recruited in the military last year, said that winning the national title this year was a great achievement, especially after beating a field that had the reigning Commonwealth Games champion Jackline Chepkoech and Africa silver medallist Caren Chebet.