'I couldn't sleep' — Faith Kipyegon opens up on how drama-shrouded Paris 5000m silver medal effect on her daughter propelled her to historic triple-gold

Three-time Olympic champion Faith has reflected on her journey to claiming an unprecedented third Olympic gold medal in the 5000m, sharing how the emotional rollercoaster of the Paris 2024 Olympics played a pivotal role in her triumph

In a candid revelation on the Kipyegon opened up about the impact of her silver medal in Paris and how it spurred her on to achieve greatness in the subsequent events

After conquering the 1500m distance, three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon is eying a different challenge in longer distances and perhaps the marathon.

The 5000m race in Paris was fraught with drama, and although she secured the silver, it left a deep emotional mark

«I normally try to smile and just remove everything in my mind and just focus on that this is history,» Kipyegon shared

«I also remember the next generation, how many young girls in this country are looking up to me.»

A particularly poignant moment came from her daughter, who was deeply affected by her silver medal

«My daughter was like, ‘Mom, are you going to bring the gold medal today?'» Kipyegon recalled

«Because I remember when I was in Paris, I started with the 5000m and there was a lot of drama. I got the silver, and that evening I didn’t sleep. My daughter cried the whole night because she was like, ‘Mom, what happened? You got the silver, I want the gold.'»

Despite the emotional toll, Kipyegon was determined to recover quickly, as she still had the 1500m final to focus on

«The following day, I had the 1500m, so I had to put myself together. I had to do this not just for me, but to make my country proud, to make my daughter proud, and to show the next generation that everything is possible,» she said

Her journey to the gold in Paris wasn’t without its challenges. Kipyegon had to push through the fatigue and frustration caused by the drama in the 5000m race

«I ran the whole race with a yellow card,» she revealed, referring to the caution she received for an earlier infringement in the 5000m

«It seemed like I was going to give up, but I had very good friends around me. My management, my coach, and my mentor, Eliud , were all there.»

Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon has picked up traits throughout her illustrious career that transcends the track into her personal life and motherhood journey.

The support from her close-knit team proved invaluable. «They told me, ‘What has happened has happened. Just focus on the next goal: a third Olympic gold.’ They reminded me that making history would be huge,» Kipyegon explained

Her perseverance and ability to bounce back from a difficult situation are what make Kipyegon’s story so inspiring. She not only claimed her third Olympic gold in the event but also proved that resilience and focus can overcome even the most emotionally taxing of circumstances