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Kenyan track and field athlete Faith Kipyegon missed the sub-4-minute mile barrier during her recent attempt at the feat. The 3-time Olympic gold medalist clocked a run time of 4:06.91 during her race in Paris.
Even though this will not count as a pro record as it was an exhibition meet, this is the fastest time she has clocked in the mile event. Her previous best was clocked at 4:07.64, which she had registered a couple of years ago during the Monaco Diamond League.
In an interview after the race, the Kenyan athlete expressed her pride in her effort and remarked that it is a matter of time for female athletes to breach the 4-minute barrier. She said (via NIKE YouTube, 1:03:15 onwards):
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"I am exhausted, I am tired but I feel good, I have tried that is what I was coming here to be the first woman to run under 4 minutes. I have proven that it's possible, it's only a matter of time."
Several top runners, such as Grant Fisher, were present at the track accompanying Faith Kipyegon throughout the race.
Faith Kipyegon explains how veteran long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge helped her
Faith Kipyegon shed light on how her countryman, two-time Olympic gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge, has helped her in her career. Kipchoge is one of the fastest long-distance runners in recent times, especially in the marathon and 5000m distances.
In an interview just a month before her "Breaking4" time trials in Paris, Kipyegon told Olympics.com that Kipchoge has helped motivate her to go one step further in breaking boundaries. She also mentioned the efforts of her coach, Patrick Sang, and remarked:
"It feels great. To be together with Eliud, to be with a person who has tried and achieved it, has inspired me a lot. Eliud has shown me that boundaries are meant to be pushed. So I’m there to dare to try, and I will give it my all. Being at the side of Eliud and the team, with our coach [Patrick Sang], and training in a healthy way — it’s easier for me."
Speaking in the interview, Kipchoge has also heaped praises on Kipyegon for aiming to break the 4-minute barrier. Hours before NIKE's Breaking4 race, Faith Kipyegon had running sessions with Eliud Kipchoge who was also at the stands of the stadium, while the former clocked an unofficial world record speed (4:06.91) at the Stade Sebastian Charlety.
