London Olympic 10,000m silver medalist Sally Kipyego announced last week that she is now an American citizen.


However, Kipyego has yet to decide whether she will represent the red, white, and blue as a professional runner.

"A little over 12 years ago I landed in the US for the first time and I'm extremely grateful for the opportunities I've been afforded," Kipyego said in a statement. Obtaining U.S. citizenship was a personal milestone that was also extremely important for my family. I have not yet determined how this will impact my professional running career, if at all, but I will consider all of my options with those closest to me before making any decision."

Kipyego failed to make the Kenyan Olympic team this summer after finishing sixth at the Trials in Eldoret. She bounced back with a 1:09:53 half marathon victory in San Jose and a runner-up finish in last November's TCS New York City Marathon--her debut--with a time of 2:28:01.

Should Kipyego decide to represent Team USA this summer in the world championships, she would become an instant contender at the U.S. championships in the 5,000m and 10,000m. Kipyego has run 14:30 (#17 all-time and eight seconds faster than Shannon Rowbury's American record) and 30:26 (behind only Molly Huddle and Shalane Flanagan in U.S. ranks) on the track. Her NYC Marathon time would make her the third-best American of 2016, behind Flanagan and Desi Linden. Under IAAF rules (Rule 5), Kipyego would be eligible to represent the U.S. in 2017.

Kipyego resides in Eugene, Oregon and trains with the Oregon Track Club Elite. She was a seven-time NCAA champion while at Texas Tech.

Watch Kipyego talk about her NYC Marathon comeback after dropping out in 2015: