Two-time Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri (Kenya) believes she can step onto the podium at the Paris 2024 Olympics. The two-time 5,000m world champion also shared that she was privileged to find a place in Kenya’s team for the Olympic Games in the French capital.
“I am happy to represent my country at the Games and will give my best for Team Kenya. I have participated in the Olympics before, the only difference is that I competed on a track”, said Hellen Obiri.
She concurred with the sentiment expressed by her fellow athletes, who emphasized the essence of teamwork in Kenya’s bid to reach the podium.
“I agree with my teammates that teamwork will play a big part in Kenya’s success at the Games. We have a pool of great and brilliant athletes capable of winning all the medals for the country in the marathon”, said Hellen Obiri.
Hellen Obiri is the only woman to have won world titles in indoor track, outdoor track and cross country. She is a two-time Olympic 5,000m silver medalist from the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she also placed fourth over the 10,000m. She is a two-time world champion after winning the 5,000m in 2017 and again in 2019, when she set a new championship record. She won the 3,000m race at the 2012 World Indoor Championships, claimed silver in 2014, and placed fourth in 2018. Hellen Obiri is the 2019 World Cross Country champion. She triumphed in the 2023 Boston Marathon, her second marathon race. She places fifth in the half marathon on the world all-time list.
Hellen Obiri is the former Kenyan national record holder for the mile and the 5,000m. Both those records were only recently broken by Faith Kipyegon on her way to setting the current mile World Record of 4:07.64 min set in Monaco on July 21, 2023.
