Coach Patrick Sang gets candid on how Faith Kipyegon managed to achieve 2023 milestones

ATHLETICS Coach Patrick Sang gets candid on how Faith Kipyegon managed to achieve 2023 milestones

Abigael Wafula 15:00 - 18.12.2023

Coach Patrick Sang has disclosed how Faith Kipyegon was able to achieve her world records among other feats in 2023.

Veteran coach Patrick Sang has praised double world record holder Faith Kipyegon for her hard work and determination that saw her have an outstanding 2023 season.

Speaking to World Athletics, Sang, who is also Eliud Kipchoge’s coach, disclosed that Kipyegon started her season with a lot of optimism and was ready to change the narrative.

Kipyegon had filled her cabinet with world and Olympic titles but was yet to have a world record to her name. However, 2023 was the year she achieved the feat, breaking three world records.

She began her record-breaking spree at the Diamond League Meeting in Florence where she shattered the 1500m record then proceeded to Paris where she broke the 5000m record. In Monaco, she broke the one-mile world record.

Follow the Pulse Sports Kenya WhatsApp Channel for more news.

“Faith started the season with a lot of optimism. She felt like she had done good work," said Sang.

"She had got two Olympic medals, and four World Championships medals, but in all this collection, one thing that was missing was a world record, especially in the 1500m – an event she has done for ages. 

"She had the focus. We changed a few things in training because we wanted her to also try the 5000m.

"Because of those few changes we made, she was not anticipating that she was already in the position to run (the world record at that early stage of the season).

"So, we went to Florence, she was like: ‘Okay, I am beginning.’ And she runs a world record!”

He added that human beings thrive on incentive and when one runs out of them, they get to a point where no effort can enable them to rise from the ashes.

He also insisted that when you create new incentives, then the output is greater and revealed that that is what they did with Kipyegon.

“We opened space for Faith to understand that the world of athletics is bigger than just performance on the track," added Sang.

"That window was opened, and it created new sets of incentives: ‘You know, besides running very fast, I can also influence society positively.’ This has come in as an interesting set of incentives for Faith."