Two times Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon won the 1500 meters in a record 3:52.59 in the Diamond League Prefontaine Classic. (Pre Classic) held in Eugene, United States, on Sunday, May 29.
The 28-year-old beat Ethiopia’s World Championship bronze medalist Gudaf Tsegay who finished at 3:54:29 to win the women's 1500m race.
Returning from pregnancy, Faith Kipyegon shocked the world with an under 4-minute victory comeback which she did not anticipate.
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Kipyegon's win places her in a better position to qualify for the Commonwealth Games and World Championships to kick off on July 28 and November 21 respectively.
Kipyegon’s finishing time was the ninth-fastest in the 1500m history which puts her name among the previous Diamond League stars. She couldn't conceal her happiness after the win.
"I am so happy today that I won my first comeback, I thank God for that. I am happy to be back on the running track and looking forward to the world championships. I was not hoping to run in less than four minutes, it was a surprise that I ran 3:52:59 I wanted to run below 4:10 so this is a really great achievement for me,"
"I am now looking forward to Doha (Qatar) to defend my title there" Faith spoke on her big goal for this year in the World Championship games.
In the women's 3,000 meters steeplechase Kenyan-born Kazakhstan national Norah Jeruto won at 8:57:97. The African Championships in Athletics in 2016 champion has not lost the steeplechase since August 2019.
In the men's 1500m race, world champion Timothy Cheruiyot and Abel Kipsang finished third and fourth respectively in a race won by Norweigian Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
Despite finishing fourth, Kipsang's 3:50.87 was his personal best in the race which comes weeks after his win in the 1500m men's race at the 2022 KipKeino Classic.
Current world champion Timothy Cheruiyot timed 3:50.77 with Australian Oliver Hoare finishing second. Ingebrigtsen won the race at a record time of 3:49.76.
World Athletics U20 Championships in 2021, Vincent Keter finished a distant 12th.