The two-time world champion has good memories of the Qatari capital and hopes to set early pace for the 2023 season
Two-time world and Olympic 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon is looking forward to kickstarting her campaign at the season-opening Diamond League meeting in Doha on Friday.
The 29-year-old ran the second-fastest women’s 1,500m of all time in Monaco last year, clocking 3:50.37 for a performance just three-tenths of a second off Genzebe Dibaba’s world record.
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That came a few weeks after Kipyegon won her second world gold in Oregon and she went on to complete a hat-trick of Diamond League title wins in Zurich last September and she cannot wait to get started this year.
“I have very beautiful memories about Doha where I ran my first 3,000m and my first 1,500m national record so I’m really looking forward,” said Kipyegon.
Kipyegon, who will be the headline act at the meeting, is up against Ethiopians Welteji Diribe (3:56.91) and Hailu and Freweyni (3:56.28), the only women with a sub-3:57, with Winny Chebet, whose personal best is 3:58:20, the other Kenyan in the race.
World 3,000m steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech will be the other headline act in Doha, coming up against former world champion Emma Coburn of the USA, compatriots Jackline Chepkoech, Faith Cherotich and Virginia Nyanmbura with Ethiopia’s Abebe Mekides (8.56.08) and Yavi Winfred Mutile (8:56.55) from Bahrain the other runners with the fastest times in the race.
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The men’s 3,000m has 2019 world champion Timothy Cheruiyot, Ishmael Kirui and Kymbe Munguti but they have a tough task on their hands against Ethiopian Selemon Barega, the 10,000m Olympic champion, Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali, the reigning Olympic and world 3000m steeplechase champion.
Former world champion Julius Yego will compete in javelin while Wycliffe Kinyamal and Noah Kibet square it out in the 800m.
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The Doha meeting is the first leg of athletics' premier one-day series, which comprises 14 of the most prestigious events in global track and field.
Athletes compete for points at the 13 series meetings in a bid to qualify for the two-day Diamond League Final in Eugene, Oregon in September.
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Runners will be using the meetings as part of their preparations for the World Championships scheduled for Budapest, Hungary in August.