AS SOON as the long-striding Faith Kipyegon won the junior race at the 2011 World Cross Country Championships barefoot in Punta Umbria, the Kenyan was widely tipped for senior stardom on the track.
Kipyegon’s profile continued to rise as she quickly added to her title haul by winning the world youth and world junior 1500m titles in back-to-back years, and a fast time to win the world junior title in Barcelona was followed by a surprise call-up to represent Kenya at the London Olympics.