59 Global Sports Communication athletes are ready for the Olympic Games

Global Sports Communications

The Olympic torch was lit last Friday to kick off the Tokyo Games but this Friday, July 30^th, the athletics events will start. And with athletes from 16 different countries arriving to Japan, 59 Global Sports Communication (GSC) competitors are ready to fight for medals in 30 different athletic events. To kick things off, some of GSC’s top athletes will compete in preliminary rounds on the first day of competition.

On Friday, world 800m champion Halimah Nakaayi of Uganda will face some of the deepest fields of women’s middle-distance racing in Olympic history alongside Ethiopian, Habitam Alemu. Both had strong performances at the Monaco Diamond League Competition in July and have been bettering their form since. Then triple jumper, Caterine Ibarguen of Columbia, is set to fly through the first round. Later on the schedule the Netherlands’ distance phenom, Sifan Hassan, will begin her multi-medal campaign in the women’s 5,000-metre prelim. And finally world record holder and 2019 world champion, Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, will close out the evening as he toes the line looking to cement his place in the Olympic history books. 

More contenders who have recently broken world records set the stage for an exciting week of athletics as well. Cheptegei will double back later in the week in the 5,000. Present too, will be 2016 Olympic Silver Medallist, Paul Chelimo, who recently won the U.S. Olympic trials in dominating fashion. 

The women’s10,000m final promises to be exciting after two of the greatest distance runners of all time go head-to-head. On June 6th Sifan Hassan broke the world record for 10,000m in Hengelo. But her blistering time of 29:06.82 only lasted for two days, because Letesenbet Gidey broke the same world record by five seconds two days later in Hengelo during the Ethiopian Trials. Both women will meet in the 10,000m finals the 7th of August. Global athletes Tsehay Gemechu of Ethiopia and Mercyline Chelangat of Uganda will compete in the 10,000m event as well.

Between these bookend events, Faith Kipyegon of Kenya will seek to defend her Olympic title over 1,500 meters. The Olympic Champion is facing a strong field, but she had a great preparation so far by winning her last 1,500m event in Monaco in a world-leading 3:51.07. Hassan battled head-to-head with her in the final 100m. Sifan Hassan will decide after her 5.000m heats how to continue her multiple Olympic medal winning mission, being qualified on the 1500m, 5.000m and 10.000m.

Another GSC world record holder, Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya, will also attempt to win her first Olympic title for 3,000mSC. With the fastest time in the field and a 2019 World Championship title and the 3,000mSC world record to her name, she certainly hopes to be in the hunt for Gold. One of her biggest competitors is GSC athlete Hyvin Kiyeng, who is having a great season so far.

One of the most anticipated performances is by Olympic champion, Eliud Kipchoge, who hopes to defend his title during the Olympic Marathon on the 8th of August in Sapporo. The World Recordholder, first person to ever run a marathon in under two hours and considered by many one of the greatest athletes of all time in the sport, showed the world in Enschede that he’s ready for the marathon in Sapporo. “For me there is no greater race than competing for an Olympic medal. In Japan, I will defend my title from Rio, to win a second Olympic medal in the marathon would mean the world to me.”

While most eyes will be on Kipchoge, 7 other GSC athletes will compete for a real shot at Olympic glory in the marathon. Amongst them are former Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda and Dutch record holder Abdi Nageeye.

Jos Hermens (CEO GSC): “I am incredibly proud to have 59 of our athletes at this years Olympics in Tokyo. I really look forward seeing our athletes perform and I am hoping for fantastic results.”

In addition to all of these experienced athletes there is a big group of our Chinese athletes competing in Olympics as well. As the management agency of the Chinese federation, GSC supports Chinese athletes participating at the Olympic Games. Also, there are dozens of other young GSC talents from around the world. Some will be there to gain experience and prepare for medal opportunities at future global championship events. And many others will try to surprise their families, countries, and the world, in Tokyo, by bringing home some medals. Anything can happen at the Olympic Games, and we wish all our athletes the best in the week ahead. 

A list of athletes competing at the Olympic games can be found below.

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