Vivian Chebet emphasizes that a strong start and a powerful finish will be crucial in reaching the 800m final at the upcoming Paris Olympics next month.
She believes perfecting these aspects before the Games will guarantee her a spot in the final. Chebet faced uncertainty about her Olympic qualification until the June 30 deadline after finishing fifth in the trials on June 14 at Nyayo Stadium, where she clocked 2:00.44.
The top three spots went to Naomi Korir (1:59.72), Sarah Moraa (1:59.39), and Mary Moraa (1:59.35), with Lilian Odira (1:59.27) taking the fourth spot. Initially missing qualification, Chebet secured her Olympic debut when her earlier performance of 1:58.26 at the Kip Keino Classic surpassed Korir’s 1:59.19 after Moraa failed to meet the 1:59.30 mark. Joining world champion Mary Moraa and Odira on the Paris team, Chebet expressed her excitement, calling it a dream come true and emphasizing the need for rigorous training to capitalize on this opportunity.
Training adjustments at the Nyayo Stadium camp have focused on tactical improvements for a smooth path to the final, according to Chebet. Drawing on her experience from previous championships, including the 2023 World Championships in Budapest where she clocked 2:01.26 in the qualifying rounds, Chebet believes facing top athletes previously will be advantageous in Paris.
“We have been training together for almost two weeks. We have worked on some tactics to ensure smooth sailing into the final,” Chebet stated.
She holds a bronze medal from the African Games in Accra with a time of 2:00.27 and finished fourth at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, with a time of 2:03.76.
Other notable performances include a second-place finish at the Stockholm Diamond League (1:58.64) and victories at the Orlen Janusz Kusocinski Memorial (1:59.45) in Poland and the Montreuil meeting in France (1:59.76).
Training alongside top athletes has been key to her career.
“I train with Cornelius Tuwei, Benjamin Kigen and Laban Chepkwony. They have inspired me a lot and always push me to new heights,” she said.
Kigen is an Olympic 3,000m steeplechase bronze medallist while Tuwei is the 2019 African silver medallist.
