Faith Kipyego, who set two world records in the 1500-meter and 500-meter races, has been given a KES 2 million cash incentive by Safaricom for her outstanding performance.  


The two-time Olympic champion set new world records in the 1500m and 5000m events with times of 3:49.11 and 14:05.20 at the Florence Diamond League and Paris Diamond League, respectively. The Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey, who held the 5000-meter world record after setting it at 3:50.07 in 2015, was defeated by the Kenyan.

PHOTO | COURTESY



“Beating two world records in a span of one week is amazing. It came as a surprise, and up to now, I am still shocked. I didn’t expect this, but again I believe I was well prepared for a good race and to break my personal best. I thank Safaricom for recognizing and honoring me; this is a big gesture in support of Kenyan athletes,” said Faith Kipyegon.


On the other hand, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa praised the athlete for her outstanding performance and for putting Kenya on the map of the world.



“At Safaricom, we are committed to supporting talents in the country. We appreciate and feel proud of what Faith has achieved and for her stellar performance, breaking two world records in one week. I believe this will help motivate many more talents in the country,” said Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom CEO.



In addition, Safaricom honoured and celebrated Faith Kipyegon by displaying her picture on the KICC structure.


The two-time Olympic champion ran 14:05.20 to set a new world record in the women's 5,000-meter race on June 9 at the Paris Diamond League Meeting.



Through its Safaricom Athletics Series, established in 2013, Safaricom has long supported athletics in the nation with the primary goal of transforming lives through sport, using sporting events to unite communities while spotting and developing new talent.