Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon tries to become the first woman to break the 4-minute mile next week in Paris
Faith Kipyegon's already a three-time Olympic 1500-meter champion. She's already the world-record holder in the mile and 1500. Next on her to-accomplish list: Become the first woman to break the 4-minute mile barrier.
The 31-year-old Kipyegon is making a run at that hallowed mark in a Nike-sponsored event dubbed 'Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile' on June 26 at the Stade Charlety in Paris. She set the world record mark of 4:07.64 nearly two years ago during a Diamond League meet in Monaco. 'I think breaking four will really cement my legacy,' Kipyegon said in a Zoom call on Wednesday. 'The next generation is looking up to us to show them the way and this is what I'm doing now. … Everything we do we have to dream big and just believe in ourselves that we could do it.'
It was more than 71 years ago when British runner Roger Bannister became the first man to eclipse 4 minutes when he ran 3:59.4. For Kipyegon, finding extra speed to trim a little more than 7.64 seconds occupies her thoughts and drives her in training. But really, she and her coach, Patrick Sang, aren't altering from their routine too much to chase a sub-4 mile time. What she's doing in workouts now has already proven highly successful. She won her third straight 1500 Olympic title in Paris last August. A month before that, she broke her own 1500 record on the same track where she will run next Thursday.
'For me, I would say being mentally strong and believing in everything I do,' she said of preparing for big moments. 'Believing in the training, believing in waking up to empower the next generation, believing in everything that has been from my younger time when I was running barefoot to where I am now. It has really given me that drive to wake up and go for training and just be strong.'
She will be wearing the latest innovations from Nike, too, from her aerodynamic track suit to her spikes. Should she break the mark, it would be subject to ratification by World Athletics. Fellow Kenyan runner, longtime friend, and training partner Eliud Kipchoge has been providing emotional support. He had an event set up for him in 2019 when he ran a marathon in 1:59:40 to break the 2-hour marathon barrier at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Austria. The mark wasn't ratified by the sport's governing body.
'It will be lovely to see Eliud after the finish line,' said Kipyegon, who's a four-time world champion. 'I get positive messages from around the world that I can do it. … It really motivates me a lot going on to this challenge. I know it will not be easy, but I'm going to try my best and we will see what the finish line offers.'
She's eager for the challenge to show the next generation of female runners that anything is possible. That includes her young daughter, Alyn. 'You have to dream and just be patient for it,' Kipyegon said.
Same with her quest next week, which she will approach in increments. 'You have to dream of how will I cross the 800 mark? How will I cross that 1200 mark?' Kipyegon explained. 'It's the repetition of 'I have to be myself' and just think of how will I shed the seven seconds? I will feel so great if I just run after that finish line and see under four minutes. It will be historical.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
3 hours ago
- Arab News
Olympic leader Bach got 10 percent raise in 2024 payment that trails far behind soccer's elected leaders
GENEVA: The International Olympic Committee paid its president Thomas Bach $350,000 in 2024, the Olympic body said Friday — a 10 percent raise for his final full year in office after a two-year freeze. The payment, or 'indemnity' in Olympic language, revealed in its annual report is small compared to soccer bodies that, like the IOC, are based in Switzerland and count annual revenue in billions. Bach on Monday will formally hand over to President-elect Kirsty Coventry, who will start an eight-year initial term as the Olympic body's first female leader and first from Africa. The IOC has classed the 71-year-old Bach as a volunteer on a full-time executive mission who 'should not have to finance activities related to his function from his personal savings.' Bach, who also gets living allowances, was paid from 12 percent to 15 percent what soccer gives its top elected officials. FIFA paid its president Gianni Infantino $5.2 million in taxable salary and bonus last year, plus other expenses. Infantino also is among the 109 IOC members and so can claim $7,000 each year for office costs and $450 daily allowance when on Olympic business. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin got almost $4.3 million in taxable income last year, including $300,000 from FIFA as one of its vice presidents. It is unclear if the 41-year-old Coventry will be a salaried president of the IOC instead of officially a volunteer. The IOC was asked for comment. The two-time Olympic champion in swimming left her job as sports minister of Zimbabwe after winning the seven-candidate IOC election in March. Bach's annual payment has been decided by the IOC's ethics commission on the stated principle 'the president should not financially benefit from his position.' The German lawyer held a series of business consultancies and board of director seats before being elected in 2013 to lead the IOC. The IOC paid Bach 225,000 euros ($259,000) in 2020. It rose to 275,000 euros ($317,000) in the year of his re-election, 2021, then was frozen for each of the next two years. International sports bodies have typically published details of leadership pay as part of governance reforms, particularly after corruption scandals in soccer.
Al Arabiya
a day ago
- Al Arabiya
Patty Gasso To Make Broadcast Debut For Athletes Unlimited Softball League
There's not much Patty Gasso hasn't done in the softball world, but she's found something new to try. The US national coach, who has led the University of Oklahoma to eight national titles, will be on a broadcast team for the first time. She will assist Amanda Scarborough, Chuckie Kempf, and Savanna Collins when the Talons play the Volts in an Athletes Unlimited Softball League game Friday in Norman, Oklahoma. Gasso, who has coached at Oklahoma since 1995, is taking advantage of the fact that the AUSL is using a traveling format in its first year and is visiting Oklahoma's home field for a series. She's excited about the opportunity to help with a game that will broadcast on and several regional affiliates and feels she'd regret not giving it a shot. 'It's something that I would wonder if I would be good at or if it's something I might try to do in the future,' she said. 'So that intrigues me a little bit. But I just like to talk softball. And normally I'm in the middle of it, so I'm not really able to talk about it.' Gasso said she sees the action differently now that she'll guide Team USA into the 2028 Summer Olympics. 'Now there's a different kind of interest,' she said. 'Now I'm watching and going, 'Okay, I see what we could do to help this certain athlete. I see something they're doing maybe in their swing that we know we could help.'' Gasso will be watching three of her former Oklahoma players. Sydney Romero plays for the Talons, and Tiare Jennings and Sam Landry play for the Volts. Landry, the No. 1 pick in the AUSL draft, led the Sooners to the Women's College World Series semifinals earlier this month. Gasso said she's been watching the league closely and studies each game. She likes the fact that Athletes Unlimited added a season with a traditional format to its season with an individual scoring format, giving her a better idea of how the best players compete in a team format at the pro level. 'They care,' she said. 'They care about winning. And that allows you to watch a good product because they're all fighting for it. They're fighting for something. And I never felt that until really AUSL came into the equation and had great structure.' Part of that structure comes from USA Softball's support. Craig Cress, USA Softball's CEO, said Gasso adds to that. 'What her and her staff have done in Oklahoma and what they bring and what I've already seen us be able to do with some of the stuff that we've done with national team athletes already – we're just really lucky that she has that same great desire to be a part of our program as she does to be an Oklahoma Sooner,' Cress said.
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Al Arabiya
Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon tries to become the first woman to break the 4-minute mile next week in Paris
Faith Kipyegon's already a three-time Olympic 1500-meter champion. She's already the world-record holder in the mile and 1500. Next on her to-accomplish list: Become the first woman to break the 4-minute mile barrier. The 31-year-old Kipyegon is making a run at that hallowed mark in a Nike-sponsored event dubbed 'Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile' on June 26 at the Stade Charlety in Paris. She set the world record mark of 4:07.64 nearly two years ago during a Diamond League meet in Monaco. 'I think breaking four will really cement my legacy,' Kipyegon said in a Zoom call on Wednesday. 'The next generation is looking up to us to show them the way and this is what I'm doing now. … Everything we do we have to dream big and just believe in ourselves that we could do it.' It was more than 71 years ago when British runner Roger Bannister became the first man to eclipse 4 minutes when he ran 3:59.4. For Kipyegon, finding extra speed to trim a little more than 7.64 seconds occupies her thoughts and drives her in training. But really, she and her coach, Patrick Sang, aren't altering from their routine too much to chase a sub-4 mile time. What she's doing in workouts now has already proven highly successful. She won her third straight 1500 Olympic title in Paris last August. A month before that, she broke her own 1500 record on the same track where she will run next Thursday. 'For me, I would say being mentally strong and believing in everything I do,' she said of preparing for big moments. 'Believing in the training, believing in waking up to empower the next generation, believing in everything that has been from my younger time when I was running barefoot to where I am now. It has really given me that drive to wake up and go for training and just be strong.' She will be wearing the latest innovations from Nike, too, from her aerodynamic track suit to her spikes. Should she break the mark, it would be subject to ratification by World Athletics. Fellow Kenyan runner, longtime friend, and training partner Eliud Kipchoge has been providing emotional support. He had an event set up for him in 2019 when he ran a marathon in 1:59:40 to break the 2-hour marathon barrier at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Austria. The mark wasn't ratified by the sport's governing body. 'It will be lovely to see Eliud after the finish line,' said Kipyegon, who's a four-time world champion. 'I get positive messages from around the world that I can do it. … It really motivates me a lot going on to this challenge. I know it will not be easy, but I'm going to try my best and we will see what the finish line offers.' She's eager for the challenge to show the next generation of female runners that anything is possible. That includes her young daughter, Alyn. 'You have to dream and just be patient for it,' Kipyegon said. Same with her quest next week, which she will approach in increments. 'You have to dream of how will I cross the 800 mark? How will I cross that 1200 mark?' Kipyegon explained. 'It's the repetition of 'I have to be myself' and just think of how will I shed the seven seconds? I will feel so great if I just run after that finish line and see under four minutes. It will be historical.'
