Olympic and world 1,500 metres champion, Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon on Friday shattered the world record, setting a new time of three minutes and 49.11 seconds during the Florence Diamond League in Italy.
She smashed the previous record set by Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba in 2015 by 0.96 seconds. Dibaba won in 2015 Monaco in 3:50.07.
The world record is the only thing that was missing from Kipyegon’s trophy cabinet, having won the world title in 2017 and 2022 and the Olympic gold medals in 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo.
Briton Laura Muir finished second in 3:57.09 as Australia Jessica Hull came third in a national and area record time of 3:57.29.
Kipyegon had come close to breaking the world record when she won the 2022 Monaco leg of the Diamond League in a national record time of 3: 3:50.37.
The 29-year-old Kipyegon missed the world record by just three tenths of a second but Friday’s race will forever be etched in her memory.
It’s in Florence where Kipyegon lost to Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan in 2021 but her second appearance came with better tidings.
Kipyegon’s journey to the top sounds like a fairy-tale, having started with a sweep of the world under-18 and under-20 titles in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
After finishing fifth in 4:05.08 on her debut at the World Athletics Championships in 2013 Moscow, Kipyegon would strike silver at the 2015 Beijing world event in 4:08.96 to signal her entry at the big stage.
She would the following year become the first Kenyan to win the Olympic gold after Jebet Lagat in 2008 Beijing with victory in 4:08.92 at the 2016 Rio Summer Games, stunning Dibaba, who settled for silver.
Kipyegon took a maternity break before returning to settle for silver in a National Record time of 3:54.22 despite losing the world title to Hassan, who also chalked an Area Record and Championship Record of 3:51.95 at 2019 Doha.
The Kenyan never let her foot off the gas pedal to retain her Olympic title in Tokyo last year in an Olympic Record of 3:53.11.
Then her performance at the world championships in Oregon would cement her place in the history of the women’s 1,500m race.
However, despite being regarded as one of the all-time greats in the women’s 1,500m, Kipyegon wasn’t satisfied with the world record having been elusive.
Kipyegon has now chalked 17 Diamond League victories since her debut in 2015 which include her Series win in 2015, 2017, 2021 and 2022.
