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Following Peres Jepchirchir's incident where she was seen returning to Kenya on an economy class flight, Kenya Athletics has announced that all Kenyan medal-winning athletes will travel in business class flights from now on. Jepchirchir won the gold medal in the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships, and returned to Kenya from Tokyo on an economy class flight. This led to criticism from fans online of the Kenyan Athletics governing body, who were outraged at the incident.
Jepchirchir's flight back home however, was a pleasant one as she was greeted by flight attendants who surprised her with a mini cake, a glass of juice, and a few words of appreciation for her performance. A video of this was posted online, and despite their kind gesture, many fans felt that Jepchirchir should have been compensated with a business class flight.
According to the Kenya Times, the Secretary for Administration at the State Department for Sports, Evans Achoki, had this to say after many fans were outraged at Jepchirchir travelling on an economy class flight:
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"The travel arrangements have been done, and we intend to fly all the medalists in business class so that they can be rewarded for their good performance. We believe this will motivate them to work harder,"
Jepchirchir recorded a time of 2:24:43 to finish first in the women's marathon, claiming her first World Championship gold medal. She was met with tremendous support upon her arrival at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, with many fans and officials celebrating her victory.
Peres Jepchirchir reacts after winning gold at World Championships
Peres Jepchirchir shared a few words after winning the gold medal in the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. After returning to Kenya, she said:
“I dedicate my gold medal to all Kenyans. I thank God for this victory. I was praying just to be on the podium, and God has answered my prayer. I was under a lot of pressure. Ethiopia selected a strong team, and Assefa is the lady who broke my women-only record. My aim now is to break that record back."
Tigst Assefa broke the women's world record in the marathon earlier this year, posting a time of 2:15:50 at the London Marathon. Peres Jepchirchir set the record in the same event in 2024, recording a time of 2:16:16.
