Faith Kipyegon, a holder of three world records, holds the belief that the elusive four-minute barrier in the 5000m race will eventually be surpassed.
Having broken her own record by nearly five seconds in Monaco, she anticipates this record will be broken either by the present or the upcoming generation of athletes.
As the first woman to ever break the 4:12 mark with her 4:07.64 run in the Diamond League series, Kipyegon is inching closer to the four-minute milestone.
In her words to World Athletics, she asserted, “Absolutely, one day, one athlete will go under four. I see it happening, either the next generation or our generation.”
Kipyegon, the 29-year-old superstar, has made a remarkable return after her maternity period in 2018, consistently achieving success.
She views her journey as an inspiration to fellow female athletes, demonstrating that the seemingly impossible can be conquered. Following the birth of her daughter, Alyn, she diligently worked to regain her competitive form for upcoming events.
In her own words, “I couldn’t imagine I would come back from maternity leave and win the silver medal in Doha. I hope to motivate them [female athletes] to know that everything is possible in life. I want to show them the way.”
Reflecting on her record-breaking performance, Kipyegon shared, “I didn’t have any pressure. I was just going there to enjoy the pace, to enjoy the laps – 12 and a half laps – so I was just going there to lower my personal best and see what was possible at the finish line. I had a personal best time of 14:31, and I told my manager that if I run a time of 14:20, I will be happy.”
