From track to road cycling: Obiri aims for big breakthrough at the Olympics

Kenyans have won gold medals in the women’s marathon at the last two Olympic Games and are likely to win three gold medals in the future.

Disgraced drug cheat Jemimah Sumgong won at Rio de Janeiro 2016 in a time of 2:24:04, before Peris Jepchirchir took gold at the postponed Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021).

Jepchirchir was easily selected for this year’s Olympic Games in Paris and is among the favorites for gold.

She will lead the Kenya attack, which also includes Sharon Lokedi, who recently replaced the injured Brigid Kosgei, and US-based former track and field star Hellen Obiri.

Obiri has made no secret of her ambition to finish on the highest podium after a good preparation in Colorado.

“I am happy to be going to the Olympics for the fourth time. I want to achieve what I dream of, which is a gold medal, and while I complete my training, I pray that I stay healthy and injury-free,” Obiri said.

Obiri, an experienced runner with many victories to her name, admitted that the field for the Paris Marathon was strong and that it would be difficult for any runner to win gold.

“The Kenyan team is strong. I will approach the race with caution because everyone has trained hard and wants to win,” said the reigning Boston Marathon champion.

Obiri won the Boston Marathon last year, pushing Jepchirchir into third place.

This year she retained her Boston title as Lokedi finished second.

Obiri will fly directly to Paris, bypassing Nairobi, where she and her friends will take part in the women’s race scheduled for Sunday, August 11.

The rising marathon star moved her training camp from Colorado to St. Moritz, Switzerland, on July 5 to familiarize herself with conditions in Europe.

Interestingly, Obiri has never won gold at the Olympics despite competing three times in a row.

In her debut at the 2012 London Olympics, she finished eighth in the women’s 1500 meters.

She then moved up to the 5,000 metres and won a silver medal at the 2026 Games in Rio, where her compatriot Vivian Cheruiyot won gold.

This was followed by another silver medal in the same race in Tokyo, while the talented Dutch Sifan Hassan took gold.

Obiri later switched to the 10,000 metres, where she won silver at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, USA, before swapping the track for the road.

She made her debut at the 2022 New York Marathon, finishing sixth.

She learned lessons when she won the Boston Marathon, followed by the New York Marathon in 2023, marking the start of a productive road running career.

Gold in Paris leaves no doubt that she is one of the world’s leading women’s marathon runners.