Kenya’s 1,500m queen Faith Kipyegon has set a new goal in her sights: becoming the first woman to run a mile under four minutes, she announced on Wednesday.
The three-time Olympic and world champion made history at the Paris Games last year when she became the first woman to win three consecutive Olympic 1500m gold medals, crossing the line in a new Olympic record of 3min 51.29sec.
Britain’s Roger Bannister was the first man to run a less than four minute mile in May 1954. The record is currently held by Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj, at 3min 43.13sec, set in 1999.
Kipyegon currently holds the official women’s mile world record of 4min 7.64sec, which she set in 2023.
The 31-year-old Kenyan will need to cut off seven seconds, and set the date for June 26 in France.
“I don’t believe it’s a matter of if a woman can break 4 minutes in the mile. It’s a matter of when we will do it,” she posted on Instagram.
She invited followers to join her in June as “I run down this ‘impossible’ barrier” at the Stade Charlety in the French capital Paris.
Meanwhile, Olympic medallists Kenny Bednarek and Twanisha Terry are among the 29 athletes selected to represent the United States at the World Athletics Relays Guangzhou 25 on 10-11 May.
Two-time Olympic 200m silver medallist Bednarek, Courtney Lindsey and Kyree King all formed part of the victorious US men’s 4x100m quartet at the last edition of the World Athletics Relays in The Bahamas. They will reunite in Guangzhou, where they will be joined by world 200m silver medallist Erriyon Knighton, Brandon Hicklin, Lance Lang and Kendal Williams.
Olympic 100m finalist Terry ran the second leg as part of USA’s gold medal-winning 4x100m quartet at the Games in Paris and she heads to Guangzhou as part of a squad also featuring 2022 world indoor 60m silver medallist Mikiah Brisco and Cambrea Sturgis.
Tokyo Olympic mixed 4x400m bronze medallist Kendall Ellis and Lynna Irby-Jackson, who won gold in the 4x400m and bronze in the mixed 4x400m in Japan, are joined by Bailey Lear on the women’s squad.
