How 5000m trio is planning to win gold for Kenya in Tokyo today

Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet celebrate during 2024 Paris Olympics. [AFP] Athletics charges leading Kenya's chase for glory at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan step into a weekend that will define the country's standing on the medal table. This afternoon, Kenya's golden girls - defending champion Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet are, alongside women's 10km record holder Agnes Ngetich, leading the hunt for medals in the penultimate stages of the global showpiece. After qualifying for the high-stakes final on Thursday, the country's superstars promised to script a meticulous plan and tactic that will deliver medals for Kenya in the distance. In the minds of athletics enthusiasts across the globe, the is debate who, between Olympic champion Chebet and five-time world champion Kipyegon, is the queen of 5000m. But the superstars say whoever wins the final this afternoon does not matter so long as a Kenyan bags a medal or a title. Already, Kenya is second behind the USA on the medal table. This weekend's contests will determine whether the nation's stars will overcome the leader. Chebet, who has already bagged gold in the women's 10,000m and Kipyegon, the newly crowned 1500m champion look to achieve historic second medals to their names just hours to the final day of the global championship. The track queens are cognizant of today's potentially explosive battle for honours, they say. They describe it as a tough battle which they are ready for. Chebet maintained on Thursday that the trio believes that today's women 5000m contest will be decided by meticulously plotted tactics. "It will be a tough final, but we are ready. But we are going to team up with Faith and Agnes Ngetich. We have done a good job so far," said Chebet ahead of the final, adding that the squad was not under pressure. According to Kipyegon, the best athlete in the Kenyan cast will bring home the title. Like Chebet, Kipyegon says their plan to increase Kenya's medal tally is on course and that the women were confident of a stellar show this afternoon. "We need to plan as a team how we are going to run this (race) because 5000m is a strong field," Kipyegon said. She went on to say: "Fingers are crossed towards the final. The best athlete will win and we hope that the title comes home. We hope that we will run well and we hope for the best." Ngetich says she will be part of the plan to deliver medals for Kenya in the race that the country's women have dominated. She said she wished Margaret Akidor has progressed to the final, but noted that the brigade of three women would impress. "I'm happy that I made the final and we will represent the country as a team," Ngetich who missed out on the podium in the women's 10,000m on Day 1 says. In the women's 5000m mix is former record holder and 2022 Eugene champion Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia who won Heat 2 on Thursday. Italy's track sensation Nadia Battocletti, who claimed silver in the women's 10,000m as well as USA's Shelby Houlihan and Medina Eisa (Ethiopia) are among women stars eyeing glory in the women's 5000m. Also chasing a world title in the second last day of Tokyo edition is Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the sole Kenyan man in the 800m clash today. Wanyonyi faces bigwigs among them defending champion Marco Arop of Canada, Djamel Sedjati (Algeria), Mohamed Attaoui (Spain) and Tshepiso Masalela (Botswana) and Cian McPhillips (Ireland) among others in the battle for 800m title. He will be hoping to replay the 2024 Paris Olympic script.

How 5000m trio is planning to win gold for Kenya in Tokyo today

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