Fresh from setting a new 10km world record, Agnes Ngetich has set her focus on the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in France.
The world cross-country bronze medalist said that she will engage in some cross-country races once the season resumes before preparing for the national trials to Paris, which she predicts will be very competitive.
Ngetich will be targeting a slot in the 10,000m race.
“My focus has shifted to next year's Olympic Games. It has been a long journey and competing at the Olympics will be my biggest achievement in my career,” said Ng’etich, who finished 5th in the 10,000m at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary last month.
Meanwhile, the two-time East Africa under 20 gold medalist revealed that the world record came as a surprise since her aim was just to set a new personal best.
Speaking upon return on Wednesday morning, Ngetich said: “The world record was never planned for, I just wanted to set a new personal best. The world record came as a surprise, which should be celebrated,” said Ng’etich.
Ngetich, who sat for her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education Kimwogo Girls in Elgeyo Marakwet county last year, clocked 29:24 to set a new 10,000m world record at the Brasov Running Festival in Romania on Sunday.
In an impressive solo run, the 22-year-old beat compatriot Catherine Reline by 10 seconds to improve on the 30:01 world mark set by the late Agnes Tirop in Herzogenaurach in 2021.
Ngetich became the fastest women-only 10km, and the third-quickest by a woman in history, behind only the 29:14 run by Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw in a mixed race in Castellon last year and the 29:19 Yehualaw clocked in Valencia earlier this year.
Ngetich said her speed on the track motivated her to run better on the road.
“Track is very good for road running build-up. Track is faster than road and that gave me an advantage since I had just competed on the track in Budapest,” she said.
She said that she will be traveling to Iten for a homecoming party on Thursday morning.
“We need to celebrate this. We shall have a convoy starting from the Eldoret International Airport all the way to Iten, where I train,” she said.
