Tirop hopes to end season in style at Kip Keino Classic
From left: Ethiopia's Ejgayehu Taye, Kenya's Agnes Jebet Tirop, Turkey's Yasemin Can, Britain's Jessica Judd and Japan's Ririka Hironaka compete in the women's 5000m heats during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on July 30, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Tirop took 28 seconds off the long-standing women-only world record for 10km, clocking 30 minutes and 01 seconds to win at the Adizero Road To Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany on Sunday
- Tirop said she will shift her gears back to her 10,000m speciality ready for the World Championships next year in Oregon, United States
- Tirop said she is tired of playing second fiddle at the World Championships declaring that she will be going for victory come the Oregon event next year
Fresh from breaking the 10km world record, two-time World 10,000m bronze medallist Agnes Tirop hopes to wrap up her season with victory in women’s 5,000m at the Absa Kip Keino Classic on Saturday in Nairobi.
Tirop took 28 seconds off the long-standing women-only world record for 10km, clocking 30 minutes and 01 seconds to win at the Adizero Road To Records event in Herzogenaurach, Germany on Sunday.
Tirop broke away from fellow Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui with less than two kilometres to go and eventually won by 16 seconds, though Chepkirui still finished comfortably inside the previous world record.
Tirop, who jetted back in the country on Tuesday from her record-breaking exploits, said she will shift her gears back to her 10,000m specialty ready for the World Championships next year in Oregon, United States.
After her 10,000m bronze medal feat at the 2017 London and 2019 Doha World Championships, Tirop opted to try her luck in 5,000m on her debut at the Olympics during the Tokyo Summer Games.
That was after she finished third behind World 5,000m champion, Hellen Obiri during the trials for the Olympics.
Then Tirop, the 2015 World Cross Country champion, would shy of the medal bracket, finishing fourth at the Tokyo Olympics. Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan won gold with Obiri settling for silver for the second time as Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia settled for bronze.
“I decided to drop to 5,000m since I had just recovered from a knee injury. I had the speed but not mileage hence my decision...in fact, finishing in top five was just fine for me on debut,” explained the Iten-based 25-year-old athlete.
“Cruising to the world record, my first ever, is a clear indication the injury is gone and I just want to try my luck on Saturday and see how it goes on Saturday,” said Tirop.
Tirop said she is tired of playing second fiddle at the World Championships declaring that she will be going for victory come the Oregon event next year.
"I am just praying to be healthy and sound. I also want to experience how it feels winning a world track event after winning the world cross country title at 20," said Tirop.
Tirop will once again face Kasait, 2017 World Cross Country bronze medallist, World 5,000m silver medallist Margaret Chelimo, World Under-20 3,000m champion Teresiah Muthoni and Eva Cherono.
Some of the foreign entrants are the 2018 World Under-20 1,500m champion Samuel Alemaz from Ethiopia, Briton Dani Chattenton, Uganda’s youngster Prisca Chesang and Moroccan veteran Hilali Siham, who won bronze in 1,500m and 3,000m at the 2004 World Under-20 event.
