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Beatrice Chebet and Emmanuel Wanyonyi are some of the Kenyan track stars who enjoyed a great 2024 season and coach Peter Bii explained to Pulse Sports Kenya the secret behind their success.
Most Kenyan athletes have enjoyed a great 2024 season on the track with Beatrice Chebet and Emmanuel Wanyonyi headlining the list of impressive performances prompting many people to scratch their heads on what could have led to such a successful season for the duo.
As many would say, hard work in training and lots of sacrifice contribute to success but is that it? When you look at the seasons of Wanyonyi and Chebet and even when Faith Kipyegon broke records last season, one thing stands out, the cross country.
This season, Emmanuel Wanyonyi started with a win in the men’s 2km at the Sirikwa Classic Cross country and from there, he did not look backwards. He ended the season as the fastest man over the 800m with the Olympic and Diamond League titles to his name.
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05:23 - 30.09.2024
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It is now three years and counting since Faith Kipyegon last lost in 1,500m and at the time, some of the current track superstars were nowhere to be seen. So, where were they in June 2021?
As for Beatrice Chebet, her season has been greatly shaped by the cross country. At the start of the season, the double Olympic champion competed in a series of cross-country races. She went on to defend her World Cross Country title in Belgrade, certainly sending warning shots at her opponents and oh boy, did she not have a glamorous season?
Chebet broke the 10,000m world record at the Prefontaine Classic, competing in just but her second race over the distance. At the Olympic Games, she was no fluke as she claimed the 5000m and 10,000m titles, asserting her authority as one of the greatest.
Last year, Faith Kipyegon started her season with a win at the Sirikwa Classic Cross Country and continued her season with record-breaking races and dominant wins. In an exclusive interview with Pulse Sports Kenya, Beatrice Chebet’s coach Peter Bii insisted on the importance of starting the season with cross country.
“We came to cross country which is very key and I would encourage also all the athletes, middle and long-distance athletes to make sure they don’t skip the cross-country season…that is where all the work is done,” Bii said.
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14:54 - 30.09.2024
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“We did a lot of work during the cross-country build up and she (Chebet) was up against a very strong Kenyan team…the full Kenyan team was very strong, so being able to defend her title showed me that she was capable of winning a medal in the Olympics,” he added.
Going forward, the cross country has to be a part of many middle and long-distance runners if they have to impress in their races and emulate the likes of Beatrice Chebet, Faith Kipyegon and Emmanuel Wanyonyi.
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