Cheruiyot reveals Olympic gold dream after Tokyo stress
By Joel Sang, August 12, 2023World Athletics Championship silver medallist Timothy Cheruiyot has revealed his son was battling meningitis while he was participating in the delayed Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.
The middle-distance runner, specialising in 1500m, admits it was a stressful moment then, but he managed to win silver in Japan nonetheless.
Son’s illness
“While I was there, my son was in and out of the hospital back home in Kenya, battling meningitis. It was serious. He recovered in the end, but the situation brought a lot of stress, something I didn’t want to mention at the time.
“I didn’t want it to sound like I was making excuses. Given everything, I was very proud of my silver,” Cheruiyot, who had recovered from a hamstring injury before the games, told World Athletics.
While Cheruiyot’s focus is on the Budapest Championship in August, his main goal is to improve and win gold in the 2024 Olympic Games to be held in Paris, France.
“I’ve often taken major finals on from the front, and that can be a little scary. You don’t know everything about your rivals.
“Maybe they’re in flying form, and maybe you’ll end up being their pacemaker. But you have to do what’s best for you, to balance your effort, and then, with 100 meters left, kick with everything you have.
“My dream is to get back to the top of the podium. That silver in Tokyo was great, but I want to upgrade it. I need to have the gold,” Cheruiyot continued.
Farming dream
Although he has gone on to post some good records in his career, the 27-year-old explained that his dream was always to be a successful farmer. Success on the track, however, has enabled him to achieve his farming dream.
“I grew up on a farm, and long before I dreamed of being an athlete, I just wanted to be a farmer. As it turned out, running was the thing that enabled that dream to come true.
“After making it to the World Relays and the World Championships in 2015, I bought my own farm, and these days, I have about 50 acres, growing potatoes, maize, beans, and tea leaves,” the gold medal winner in the Doha World Championship said.
Apart from achievements in the World Athletics Championship, Cheruiyot is a silver medallist at the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games and a two-time African Championship silver medallist in 2016 and 2018.
In the Diamond League series, he is a 1500m winner in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021.