18-year-old Timothy Kiptoo is fired-up and determined to make Team Kenya for the coming World Under-20 Athletics Championships on August 1-6 in Cali, Colombia.
The fast-rising 5,000m runner who missed the opportunity to feature at the canceled Africa Cross Country Championships has progressed in his training at Kaptama in Mount Elgon, Bungoma County, to achieve his dream. He stated that he intends to run for the country to help team Kenya retain its glory for the third time after winning in Tampere, Finland, in 2018 and Nairobi last year.
“I was disappointed after the Africa Cross Country Championships were canceled. This time, with the training camps at our disposal, I am sharpening my skills in readiness for the national trials in July,” noted Kiptoo.
Timothy Kiptoo is one of the beneficiaries of the Athletics Kenya Under-20 Training Camps.
Furthermore, he mentioned the Istanbul Half Marathon champion Rodgers Kwemoi and Abel Kipsang, who won bronze at the World Indoor Championships, as role models who have significantly shaped his career. Kiptoo is now keen on doubling up in 5,000m and 3,000m in the World Under-20 Championship.
Being a high school student has not stopped Kiptoo from dreaming big. The Form 3 student at Kongit High School in Mount Elgon said the Paris 2024 Olympic Games will be his next big project after graduating to senior ranks.
Athletics Kenya (AK) youth development, chairman Barnaba Korir, thanked the government for funding training for these young athletes and advised those in charge of various camps to improve their performance. He added that he is impressed with the kind of determination displayed by the likes of Kiptoo.
