After a tough outing at the just-concluded Tokyo World Championships, Olympian Susan Ejore will be looking to bounce back stronger at next month’s Athlos meeting, set for the Icahn Stadium in New York, USA.
In Tokyo, Ejore fell short of securing a finals berth after finishing seventh in semi-final two, clocking 4:09.28 in a race where compatriot Nelly Chepchirchir (4:06.86), Australia’s Jessica Hull (4:06.87) and American Nikki Hiltz (4:07.04) sealed the top three positions.
Triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon went on to underline her supremacy by claiming a fourth world title, stopping the clock at 3:52.15. Dorcas Ewoi stormed to silver in 3:54.92 while Hull settled for bronze in 3:55.16. Despite her exit at the global showpiece, Ejore insists her hunger and determination remain unshaken.
”Rough day in the office, but I am really grateful for the opportunity. The work isn’t over yet, neither is the drive,” Ejore shared. Tokyo marked only the second time the 29-year-old donned the national colours, having made her maiden appearance at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
In Paris, she finished sixth in the final, clocking 3:56.07 in a race where Kipyegon clinched her third Olympic crown in 3:51.29.
Now, all eyes shift to New York, where Ejore will be hoping to improve on her podium finish from last year’s Athlos meet. At the inaugural edition of the women’s only event, Ejore clocked 4:06.25 for third place behind Kipyegon (4:04.79) and Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji (4:05.58).
Her inclusion in this year’s start list was confirmed by organisers, who billed her as a strong contender. However, Ejore faces a formidable field, headlined by defending champion Kipyegon.
Adding further depth to the start line are Hull, Hiltz and Ethiopia’s powerhouse duo Gudaf Tsegay and Freweyni Hailu. Ejore’s 2025 season has been a mixed bag of fortunes.
She opened her campaign indoors, snatching second place over the mile (4:23.55) at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix before finishing fifth at the World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, with a 4:03.89 finish over the 1,500m short track. Her outdoor season began in Kingston, Jamaica, at the Grand Slam Track meet, where she placed fifth in the 800m (1:59.26) before finishing second in her preferred 1,500m (4:05.10).
She then launched into the Diamond League with a second-place finish in Doha (4:06.27), before a string of competitive performances; fifth in Rome (3:59.73), eighth in Paris (3:58.65), 11th at the Prefontaine Classic (3:58.05), ninth in Brussels (4:00.18) and sixth in Zurich (3:59.48).
by TEDDY MULEI
