Kenyan athlete Faith Kipyegon made history at the Diamond League track and field meeting in Paris by breaking her own world record in the women's 1,500 meters event. Kipyegon crossed the finish line in a remarkable time of 3:49.04, surpassing her previous record of 3:49.11 set in Italy last year.
Expressing her confidence in achieving the world record, Kipyegon mentioned that her recent fast performance in Kenya gave her the belief that it was possible. She had previously clocked 3:53.98 at Kenya's Olympic Trials and aimed to assess her form for defending her Olympic title.
The race witnessed outstanding performances from other athletes as well, with nine runners achieving personal bests. Jessica Hull of Australia secured the second position with a time of 3:50.83, breaking her own Oceania record by a significant margin. Laura Muir from Britain claimed the third spot, setting a new British record of 3:53.79.
Kipyegon, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 1,500 meters event, had a limited competitive schedule leading up to the Paris Olympics. She had participated in only two races in 2024, the 1,500 and 5,000 meters, to secure her place at the Olympics during the Kenyan trials held in June.
Notably, Kipyegon's record-breaking performance was followed by another remarkable feat as Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh set a new world high jump record by clearing 2.10 meters less than an hour later.
These exceptional displays of athleticism at the Paris Diamond League event have set the stage for an exciting and competitive Olympic Games ahead.
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