国产精品99一区二区三_免费中文日韩_国产在线精品一区二区_日本成人手机在线

Kenya's Kiprop seeks Vienna Marathon hat-trick

Source: Xinhua| 2019-03-06 21:49:30|Editor: xuxin
Video PlayerClose

NAIROBI, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Nancy Kiprop is keen to make history by becoming the first woman to win three gold medals at the Vienna Marathon.

Kiprop will however come up against strong opposition from Ethiopia's Rahma Tusa, winner of the 2018 Rome Marathon, in the IAAF Gold Label race set for April 7.

Swiss record-holder Maja Neuenschwander returns to the marathon distance after a stress fracture blighted her 2018.

"It will be harder for me this time because the focus is solely on me. People will try to stop me, but I have to focus on my inner strength, my training and my determination. It is a mind game, which I intend to win," Kiprop said on Wednesday in Nairobi.

Austria's Gerhard Hartmann was the first to achieve a hat-trick in Vienna, taking three consecutive victories from 1985 to 1987.

More recently, Kenya's Henry Sugut became a three-time champion with victories in 2010, 2012 and 2013.

While no woman has yet achieved this feat, Kiprop is in a position to do so after winning the last two editions.

In 2017 she won with a personal best time of 2:24:20, finishing just five seconds ahead of fellow Kenyan Rebecca Chesire.

Last year she dominated, beating back the warm conditions and winning by more than five minutes in 2:24:18, another lifetime best. In the meantime, the 39-year-old has gotten even faster, clocking 2:22:46 in Frankfurt last October.

"For me it is an easy decision to return to Vienna, as the race is well organized, people are welcoming and I feel appreciated and respected. I am truly humbled by each experience in Vienna," said Kiprop, a mother of seven who used most of her winnings to found a school in her home village of Chesitek.

Her victories in Vienna have been instrumental with her school project, Kiprop said, helping to make "the impossible possible".

"My school has a total of five classrooms and our plans are to continue to grow. We want to add one new class each year and keep investing in education for the next generation."

Kiprop's strongest rival may well be 25-year-old Ethiopian Rahma Tusa, who achieved a hat-trick of her own when winning the Rome Marathon last year for the third consecutive time. In 2018, she improved her personal best to 2:23:46.

Tusa also showed fine form in the New York City Marathon last November, finishing fifth with 2:27:13. This will be her first appearance in Vienna.

Switzerland's national record holder Neuenschwander took a surprise victory in 2015 in 2:30:09 and then clocked her national record of 2:26:49 in Berlin later that year. However, the 39-year-old hasn't completed a marathon since finishing 29th at the 2016 Olympic Games.

TOP STORIES
EDITOR’S CHOICE
MOST VIEWED
EXPLORE XINHUANET
010020070750000000000000011100001378737911
主站蜘蛛池模板: 尤溪县| 濉溪县| 鸡泽县| 浙江省| 类乌齐县| 张北县| 竹溪县| 荣昌县| 江源县| 兴文县| 武清区| 五大连池市| 永昌县| 泽普县| 红桥区| 越西县| 大英县| 将乐县| 五寨县| 淮安市| 贵德县| 新乡县| 屏东县| 昭通市| 诏安县| 周至县| 肇东市| 都匀市| 天等县| 五台县| 梁山县| 永宁县| 漳州市| 上高县| 康保县| 中西区| 玛曲县| 长宁县| 赣榆县| 株洲市| 闵行区|