8. FAITH KIPYEGON

Another Kenyan athlete that makes our list is 2012 World Junior 1500m Champion, Faith Kipyegon who has been considered by many as the biggest threat to stop World Record (WR) holder in the event, Genzebe Dibaba from clinching her first Olympic title.

F.Kipyegon
Faith Kipyegon celebrating her Silver medal at the 2015 World Championships. Photo Credit: www.standardmedia.co.ke

The World Championships Silver medallist recorded Meet Record’s (MR) at the Shanghai (3:56.82) and Eugene (3:56.41) Diamond League, with her Eugene time being not just a Personal Best (PB), but a National Record (NR) as well.

Her times are the fastest in the world this year, with the closest being Great Britain’s Laura Muir who clocked an NR of 3:57.49 on her way to winning the Diamond League in London.

Kipyegon
Kipyegon has been unbeaten in the 2016 Diamond League season. Photo Credit: www.iaaf.org

While Kipyegon and Muir may have the fastest times this year going to Rio, one cannot rule out the threat posed by Dibaba, who sits at No. 5 on the 2016 list with an SB of 3:59.83.

Rio 2016
Genzebe Dibaba celebrating last year after winning the world title. Behind her is Faith Kipyegon who has will be challenging her for the Olympic title in Rio. Photo Credit: Making of Champions/ PaV Media

The trio will be gunning for their first Olympic title, which makes the event one of the most anticipated showdowns in Rio, and who knows a WR might just be recorded.

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Funmi Fameso is a Junior Sports Writer at Making of Champions. She is a 2012 Graduate of Lagos State University, where she obtained a BSc in Microbiology. She worked as a Health Centre Laboratory Assistant during her NYSC year and since then she has worked as a Junior Sports Writer for her church’s youth magazine, Kingsword Youth Club Magazine. It was watching the Sydney 2000 Olympics that ignited her passion of sports, most especially Athletics. Sports means three things to her: Passion, Hard Work and Dedication!

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