Arrangements are complete for a homecoming party for the World Junior Athletics champion Faith Cherotich at Kalyet athletics camp in Kipkelion West Sub-County on Friday.

The area leadership, Athletics Kenya, (AK), coaches and villagers have finalized arrangements for the ceremony in honour of the 3000 meters Steeplechase under-20 world champion. 

According to Cherotich’s coach Bernard Rono, everything is in place to accord the rising star a party that befits the breakthrough she made at the world event.

Cherotich surprised many not leasT herself in World Cross-Country championships in Bathurst, Australia where she clinched the position four in the 6 Km junior race that was won by Ethiopian Senayet Getachew.

“We have organized a homecoming ceremony for the athlete and we’re proud of her achievement. It will be a heroic welcome for her and there is no better way to pay homage to her than homecoming,” said Rono.

He hinted that various leaders and officers from both the national and county government of Kericho plus those from other counties are expected to grace the occasion. 

Cherotich is also the 2022 3000m Steeplechase World champion after bagging the gold medal during the World U20 Athletics Championships held in Cali, Colombia.

She also won bronze in 3000m Steeplechase in the 2021 World U20 Athletics Championships held in Nairobi.

Rono says all roads shall lead to Kalyet camp on Friday since people want to be associated with success stories.

Meanwhile, in February of this year, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone appeared in an ESPN ‘This is SportsCenter’ commercial in the United States. ESPN, the US cable sports channel that reaches around 76 million households, began this commercial series in 1994 with sports stars at the forefront. Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps, Roger Federer and Lebron James are a few athletes that have been profiled.

And now Olympic champion, world champion and world record-holder in the 400m hurdles, McLaughlin-Levrone, has been added to the series roster. This, for good reason, caught the attention of athletics fans. Seldom do track and field athletes make it into the mainstream in US media and it is even more rare that women have been given such opportunities. 

-Additional report by World Athletics