Faith Kipyegon continued her historic season just missing the world record in the 3,000 meters at the Silesia Diamond League meeting in Chorzów, Poland. Kipyegon won the race in 8:07.04, less than a second off the world record, which has stood for 32 years.
Billed as a world-record attempt, American Sage Hurta-Klecker acted as pace-setter for the first 1,200 meters of the race before Australian Jessica Hull took over until 2,000 meters.
The world record of 8:06.11 was set by Wang Junxia of China in 1993, and is one of the oldest and most controversial records in track and field due to Junxia’s association with “Ma’s Army,” a training group that has been accused of being aided by performance-enhancing drugs under coach Ma Junren. In 2016, a letter, written by Wang and signed by nine other athletes, surfaced, alleging that Wang and others were forced to take banned substances.
No one has come anywhere close to Junxia’s time before today’s Diamond League race. Kipyegon’s Kenyan countrywoman Beatrice Chebet ran 8:11.56 at the Rabat Diamond League meeting in May, which was the fastest time since Junxia set the world record. Chebet went on to break the world record in the 5,000 meters at the Prefontaine Classic this year, becoming the first woman to break 14 minutes with 13:58.06.
Kipyegon is considered the greatest women’s miler of all-time, having won three Olympic gold medals and three world championship titles in the event. She broke her own world record in the 1,500 meters at the Prefontaine Classic earlier this year, running 3:48.68, and is the only woman in history to run faster than 3:50. She also ran the fastest mile ever by a woman Other Hearst Subscriptions.
Prior to Silesia, Kipyegon’s personal best over 3,000 meters was just 8:23.55, which she ran 11 years ago in 2014.
“I am just going there to lower my personal best. That world record is tough,” Kipyegon said before the race to Kenya’s Mozzart Sport. “We are here to try. I say, ‘dare to try’. It is always better to dare to try than not to try, so I am going to Silesia to just lower my personal best and see if I will dare to try and if the world record is possible.”
Johanna Gretschel is a freelance writer and broadcaster living in Austin, Texas, who has covered elite track and field and running in all its forms. She contributes to Runner’s World, ESPN, Austin American-Statesman, FloTrack, MileSplit, Women’s Running and Podium Runner. Yes, she has run a marathon!
