Faith Kipyegon proved she is indeed hard to beat for the umpteenth time as she cruised to a record-setting 1500m win in Brussels to take home a fifth Diamond League title on Saturday night.
Kipyegon, who recently completed a hat trick of gold medals in the 1500 meters to cement her status as undoubtedly the greatest middle-distance female runner of all time, set a meet record in the process, getting over the line on 3:54.75 .
Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji finished second on 3:55.25, while Austaria’s Olympic silver medalist Jesica Hull got third on 3:56.99.
Nelly Chepchirchir, the other Kenyan on the track, finished fifth on 3:58.05, while Georgia Bell, who finished second in the 800 meters the night before, settled for seventh on 3:58.95.
Reflecting on her performance, Kipyegon expressed gratitude and emphasized that setting a world record wasn’t her focus for the night.
“It was a good race, and I really thank God for that. The world record was not on my mind today. My goal was to finish my Diamond League season in a good way, and I did,” Kipyegon shared after her victory.
Despite the impressive result, Kipyegon acknowledged the challenges of the race, particularly the cold conditions. “It was a good race, but definitely not an easy one. It was a bit cold to run 61 seconds in the first lap and 62 seconds for the next lap. I tried to be myself and focus on the finish line,” she explained.
Looking ahead, Kipyegon hinted at her upcoming race in New York, which will mark the conclusion of her season. “Hopefully, I will finish my season in New York in a good way. It will be my last race of the season. I am still looking forward to racing. I started my season very late because of a small problem, and I still feel strong,” she added.
