World and Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon cemented her status as the greatest athlete over the metric mile by smashing her own world 1500 metre world record on Sunday. She recorded an outstanding 3:49.04 at the Diamond League in Paris, France.
The Kenyan middle-distance star impressed with the run bettering her former record of 3:49.11 — which was set at the Stadio Luigi Ridolf, in Firenze, Italy in 2023. Faith said, “Wow this is just amazing! I am so happy to break the World Record over my favourite distance again. I can’t wait to come back to Paris to defend my Olympic title!”
Kipyegon has claimed back-to-back Olympic 1500m titles winning gold in the Rio and Tokyo Olympic Games. She is also a three-time world champion over 1500m, having regained her crown last year in Budapest, six years after first winning the title in London.
The race
With two pacemakers and pace lighting technology on the rail, Kipyegon tucked in first with Australia’s Jessica Hull on her heels. Great Britain’s Laura Muir was next with Linden Hall of Australia following. By 800m, the field was single file but within striking distances until the pacemakers dropped at 1:57 on the clock. That is when Kipyegon and surprisingly, Hull dropped the field.
Hull, seemingly always just off the podium but always in contention until late in a race, was drafting Kipyegon. It was a two-women race. The two created a large gap and ran away with it. Kipyegon began to create a gap between her and Hull with less than 400m to go, and did not really change gears until there were fewer than 200m remaining.
In the end, Hull finished second in a new Oceania and an Australian record of 3:50.83. Muir finished third in a British record time of 3:53.79.
Results
POS | NAME | NAT | RESULT |
---|---|---|---|
1 | KIPYEGON Faith | KEN | 3:49.04 WR |
2 | HULL Jessica | AUS | 3:50.83 AR PB |
3 | MUIR Laura | GBR | 3:53.79 NR PB |
4 | HALL Linden | AUS | 3:56.40 PB |
5 | BELL Georgia | GBR | 3:56.54 PB |
6 | EJORE Susan Lokayo | KEN | 3:57.26 PB |
7 | HEALY Sarah | IRL | 3:57.46 PB |
8 | GUILLEMOT Agathe | FRA | 3:58.05 NR PB |
9 | SNOWDEN Katie | GBR | 3:58.13 SB |
10 | MAGEEAN Ciara | IRL | 3:58.69 SB |
11 | GETACHEW Nigist | ETH | 3:58.98 PB |
12 | GUERRERO Esther | ESP | 3:59.74 PB |
13 | McGEE Cory Ann | USA | 4:01.18 |
DNF | GALANT Martyna 800m 2:05.50 | POL | |
DNF | GARCÍA Daniela 800M 2:03.30 | ESP | |
DNF | PIZZO Charlotte 800m 2:03.30 | FRA |