Faith Kipyegon: I knew that everything is possible

Almost nine months after missing the 1,500m world record, the Kenyan middle-distance runner Faith Kipyegon put the disappointment behind her with a superb performance at the Diamond League track and field tournament in Florence, Italy.

Last year in Monaco, the two-time Olympic and world champion in the discipline stayed very close to Genzebe Dibaba’s record from 2015, crossing the finish line in 3:50.37 min.

She now clocked 3:49.11, bettering the Ethiopian’s best of 3:50.07 min.

“When I crossed the finish I knew I had broken the world record because I did a good sprint at the end and I felt very strong. I knew anything was possible”, said Faith Kipyegon after setting a new world record. “After the first 1,000 meters, I just put all my strength into the finish line. The achievement is very important because it was something that was missing in my career. This will really motivate me. A truly amazing evening”, added the athlete.

Faith Kipyegon won Olympic titles at the 2016 Rio and 2020 Tokyo Games, and world titles at the 2017 and 2022 World Athletics Championships. She earned world silver medals in 2015 and in 2019.