Kenyan President William Ruto awarded distance runner Faith Kipyegon $35,000 and a home on Tuesday (June 13) as a gift for breaking two world records in a week.
Kipyegon, who met with Ruto in the president’s office, stated that she would now execute a promise she made to her father to purchase him a new automobile.
Kipyegon, a two-time Olympic winner in the 1,500 metres, established a new world record in Florence, Italy on June 2 when she beat Genzebe Dibaba’s eight-year-old record. Kipyegon’s 3:49.11 time made her the first woman to break the 3:50 mark.
“Faith has made Kenya incredibly proud,” Ruto said. “She stands as a shining model of consistency, discipline, hard work, as well as family. Faith is a great Kenyan woman — a mother, a wife and a world champion rolled into one.”
She smashed the 5,000-meter record last Friday in the Paris Diamond League meet, clocking 14:05.20 and finishing ahead of Ethiopia’s former world mark-holder Letesenbet Gidey.
Ruto pledged that the Kenyan government will also give similar rewards to future world-record breakers.
