Reigning Olympic Games 5,000m champion Vivian Jepkemoi Cheruiyot says she is too young to hang her spikes come 2020 after Tokyo Olympic Games.
Cheruiyot, who said the speculations going round in some media outlets are not true and her fans should not be worried that she was going to hang her spikes but whatever they are reading were not her words, though she is focusing to feature in 2020 Olympic marathon team.
“I have heard some reports that I will retire after 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. That is not true but it will be the beginning of another brilliant era in my career. The latest I can retire should be 2025,” said Cheruiyot.
While opening her Oslo Petrol station on Saturday, the triple IAAF world champion said 2020 will be a determining year as she plans to set another career record in athletics with gold, which remained elusive for her until 2016 when she bagged gold in Rio de Janeiro showpiece.
“As an athlete, I have achieved almost everything. From track to marathon but I still have a long journey for my career. Tokyo will set the pace for me,” added the 2011 world cross country champion.
Immediately after winning gold in Olympics, the pocket rocket switched to compete in road races and in April 2017, she competed at London marathon finishing a distance fourth in a race won by former world half marathon record holder Mary Keitany, with Tirunesh Dibaba and Aselefech Mergia.
But Cheruiyot’s dream came true when she won Frankfurt marathon in October 2017.