By winning her third straight Olympic gold in the 1500m on Saturday, October 10, at the Paris 2024 Games, Faith Kipyegon solidified her reputation as the queen of the distance. She is the first woman to win three gold in a single track event.
She was getting closer to her legendary reputation with every step she took on the purple track of the crowded Stade de France. Kipyegon, a three-time global 1500-meter champion and current world record holder, ran a brave final lap to clock 3:51.29, shaving two seconds off her Olympic record from three years ago in Tokyo.
With her mouth open, hands open, and eyes closed, the 30-year-old Kenyan took in the moment as she crossed the finish line. She then gave the audience a thumbs-up and punched the air.
“It’s an enormous accomplishment,” Kipyegon, who won silver in the 5000 meters earlier in the Games, exclaimed. “I had a dream and was incredibly excited to defend my crown. I find it incredible that I finished it. I’m overjoyed. This is the past. I succeeded in creating history. I completed it. This is an incredible honor; my main goal was to take home the gold in the 1500 meters.
World 2000m record holder Jessica Hull of Australia beat world road mile champion Diribe Welteji to win silver in 3:52.56, while Georgia Bell of Great Britain finished third in 3:52.61, setting a national record, after passing Welteji near the finish.
Hull remarked, “I imagined it being a battle, four of us at the top of the straight.” “I vowed that I would not be the one to return home empty-handed. It’s quite remarkable to watch Georgia (Bell) succeed. We just trailed the best of all time by second and third.
Kipyegon doubled up in the 5000m, and he did just enough in the 1500m heats and semifinals to make it through each round.
“It took a lot of energy from me after the disappointment in the 5000m (first being disqualified and then having her silver medal reinstated after an appeal),” Kipyegon remarked. It wasn’t until yesterday that I slept. I thought, “What is going on?”
Gudaf Tsegay was one of Kipyegon’s main rivals after his 3:50.30 performance earlier this year, but the Ethiopian had previously competed in the 5000 and 10,000 meters and had placed outside of the medal positions in both events.
But it was expected that Kipyegon would need to set an Olympic record in order to win, given the large number of other female competitors who have smashed the 4:00 mark this year.
Tsegay led the way early, with Elle St Pierre, Bell, and Welteji from the USA following closely behind. Kipyegon chose to take it easy. Eight women broke away to form a lead pack, and Kipyegon moved up to second place while Hull followed the Kenyan.
As the bell rang, Kipyegon surged ahead, followed closely by Welteji and Hull, as Tsegay began to weaken, just like she had in the latter portions of the 5000m and 10,000m.
With her impressive change of speed, Kipyegon won her eighth senior world title, adding yet another prize to her collection that her daughter Alyn will be able to flaunt.