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There was little doubt that Faith Kipyegon’s two new world records accomplished this summer at the Diamond League would be ratified. However, it is a formality that is part of the process and brings a reason to celebrate her 1500m and 5000m wins.

Kipyegon’s first world record was set at the Golden Gala in Florence, Italy on June 2.

Just one week later she raced Paris, where she crushed the world record of 14:06.62 set by Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey. Kipyegon clocked 14:05.20 in just her third-ever race at the distance. The Kenyan now owns three world records: 1500m, one mile (1609m) and 5000m as well as two African records in the 1000m and 4 x 1500m relay.

She is a two-time Olympic gold medallist and two-time World Championships champion in her specialty the 1500m event. The 29-year-old mother is a 22-time Diamond League winner. Her range is broad. She has run the 800m event as fast as 1:57.68, 1000m in 2:29.15, owns a best in the 1500m of 3:49.11, one mile in 4:07.64, 3000m at 8:23.55 and the 5000m in 14:05.20. All of the performances are valued in the World Athletics point scoring system from 1204 to 1295 points.

The question on everyone’s mind is not whether she wins gold in the 1500m for the third time, but if she doubles down and wins gold in the 5000m. With three-time world record holder Sifan Hassan registered for three events: 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m she has competition. The former Ethiopian, now Dutch athlete, trebled at the Tokyo Olympic Games taking gold in the 5000m and 10,000m but finished third in the 1500m.

Championships are run for winning or placing, not for time necessarily. During the Diamond League meets, the races offer Wavelight technology, which provides pacing help to the end of the race. Global championships often are tactical. World record are possible but less likely.

Shoestrings…

Athing Mu, the world’s fastest current 800-metre runner may skip out on the World Championships to focus on the 2024 Paris Olympic Games — which are one year away, which seems terribly misdirected. Apparently, she stresses about racing too much and feels great pressure to race. She has also intimated that she enjoys modelling and perhaps much more so than racing. Mu (pr: moh) is the reigning Eugene World Championships 800m gold medallist and Tokyo Olympic Games champion. Her main rivals, Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson and Kenya’s Mary Moraa would likely prefer to beat Mu than have her miss the competition and have the proverbial asterisk by their win *Athing Mu decided not to compete.

The 21-year-old’s coach Bobby Kersee has suggested that she may miss Budapest, however, will register just in case she changes her mind; or perhaps if he changes his mind. Perhaps the rhetoric is about gaining attention to the event or she is for real and too stressed around competition time. Either way, the sport will be better off if she competes.

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