3-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon falls short in attempt to break 4-minute mile
Kenyan runner lowered her world record to 4 minutes 6.42 seconds but it won't count
Three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon has failed in her bid to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes.
Kipyegon, the 2024 Olympic 1,500-metre gold medallist from Kenya, ran four minutes, 6.42 seconds at Stade Charlety in Paris on Thursday.
Her time was better than her 4:07.64 world record but won't be recognized by the international federation because the Nike-sponsored event dubbed Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile was unofficial. She was supported by pacemakers and equipped with Nike's latest innovations, from her aerodynamic track suit to her spikes.
"I gave everything today to try, it was not about running a tactical race" Kipyegon said. "It was the first trial. I've seen it's possible.
"And I think next time we will catch up with the light," she added, joking about the Wavelight, the pace-setting system using a series of LED lights on the inside of the track making it easier to follow whether an athlete is ahead, or falling behind.
WATCH | Discussing Kipyegon's potential bid to break 4-minute mile barrier:
The 31-year-old Kipyegon looked exhausted as she reached the finish and fell on her back as she was surrounded by photographers.
Her attempt took place on a balmy summer's evening with a temperature of 25 C and limited wind, in front of an audience of a few thousand people.
She used a team of 13 elite pace setters made of 11 men and two women who were positioned in front and behind her to reduce drag.
But Kipyegon appeared to struggle midway through the race and failed in her attempt to shave at least 7.65 seconds off her world record. To achieve the feat, Kipyegon would have needed to run each of her four laps an average of about two seconds faster.
Among the guests in Paris were Carl Lewis and Kipyegon's fellow Kenyan runner, longtime friend and training partner Eliud Kipchoge.
It was more than 71 years ago when British runner Roger Bannister became the first man to eclipse four minutes in 3:59.4.
Kipyegon set the women's mile world record nearly two years ago during a Diamond League meet in Monaco.
She won her third straight 1,500 Olympic title in Paris last August. A month before that, she broke her own 1,500 record on the same track where she ran on Thursday.
