Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon falls short in her attempt to break 4-minute mile
Three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon failed in her bid Thursday to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes.
Article content
Kipyegon, the Olympic 1,500-meter gold medalist from Kenya, ran in 4 minutes, 06.42 seconds — the fastest mile in history by a woman — at Stade Charlety in Paris.
Article content
Article content
Her time was better than her world record of 4:07.64 but won't be recognized by the international federation because the Nike-sponsored event dubbed ' Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile ' was unofficial. She was supported by pacemakers and equipped with Nike's latest innovations, from her aerodynamic track suit to her spikes.
Article content
Article content
'I gave everything today to try, it was not about running a tactical race' Kipyegon said. 'It was the first trial. I have proven that it's possible and it's only a matter of time. I think it will come to our way. If it's not me, it will be somebody else. I know one day, one time a woman will run under 4:00. I will not lose hope. I will still go for it.'
Article content
The 31-year-old Kipyegon looked exhausted as she reached the finish and fell on her back as she was surrounded by photographers.
Article content
Her attempt took place on a balmy summer's evening with a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius (77 Fahrenheit) and limited wind, in front of an audience of a few thousand people. She used a team of 13 elite pace setters made of 11 men and two women who were positioned in front and behind her to reduce drag.
Article content
She stayed on the inside of the track throughout her punishing effort. She appeared to struggle midway through the race and failed in her attempt to shave at least 7.65 seconds off her world record. To achieve the feat, Kipyegon would have needed to run each of her four laps an average of about two seconds faster.
Article content
Article content
'I think next time we will catch up with the light,' Kipyegon added, joking about the Wavelight, a pace-setting system using a series of LED lights on the inside of the track making it easier to follow whether an athlete is ahead, or falling behind.
Article content
Kipyegon also had a message for her daughter and young girls watching.
Article content
'I will tell them we are not limited,' she said. 'We can limit ourselves with thoughts, but it is possible to try everything and prove to the world that we are strong. Keep pushing.'
Article content
Among the guests in Paris were Carl Lewis and Kipyegon's fellow Kenyan runner, longtime friend and training partner Eliud Kipchoge.
Article content
It was more than 71 years ago when British runner Roger Bannister became the first man to eclipse four minutes in 3:59.4.
Article content
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Canada's Aaron Brown: Grand Slam Track brought platform, professionalism to sport
It was meant to be quite the finale in the City of Stars this weekend. Instead, the inaugural Grand Slam Track season came to a halt with the cancellation of its final leg in Los Angeles earlier in June. The league became a talking point and a source of excitement for track athletes signed to Grand Slam Track, especially those from North America. It provided an opportunity for athletes to compete against the best without having to travel overseas. Toronto sprinter Aaron Brown, who competed in the most recent event in Philadelphia, feels the league brought something greater to the sport for Canadians. 'For athletes in Canada or athletes in America, being able to just stay within the country or go to Jamaica somewhere on this similar time zone, you know, not having to go overseas it's a huge benefit,' he said. 'It allows us to have better performances too because you're not having a deal with such jet lag, … you don't have to show up (to the meet) super early you can train a little bit longer and harder and be in your the comfort of your own home for a longer time.' Michael Johnson, the founder and commissioner of Grand Slam Track, said the league is looking ahead to 2026 and beyond. 'Sometimes we have to make moves that aren't comfortable, but what's most important is the future and sustainability of the league,' he said as part of a statement. Brown says the opportunity is there for fans in North America to get used to the faces of the sport's stars that will be at the 2028 L.A. Olympics. 'I think meets like the Grand Slam are finally going to get us to that point where we can take advantage of it,' he said. 'Especially heading into L.A. 2028, that's a huge opportunity for people to get used to who the stars are going to be in L.A., get an early look at them, and be able to follow them into their, into the journey to that meet. 'Which is huge because it adds a narrative and incentive for you to pay attention. And so I just think that if track and field wants to have a professional league, this is the best way for them to do it. And, you know, I'm invested in their success.' Seven-time Olympic medallist Andre De Grasse of Markham, Ont., is another one of Canada's stars to have competed in Grand Slam, in addition to 2023 800-metre world champion and 2024 Olympic silver medallist Marco Arop, who competed in both the 800 and 1,500 as a short-distance racer. Arop stood out among the Canadian cohort, winning the 800 races in the three Grand Slam events held. Although he didn't fare as well in the 1,500, Arop was among the top point-getters in the short distance group, finishing no lower than second and being first at the Philadelphia event. Competition aside, Brown said Grand Slam Track provided things that are not typically offered at other meets. Brown said locally-sourced snacks were provided, on top of a drip check done to shoot athletes and display their outfits. Collab posts to helped athletes push each other's audiences. He also said athletes got their own rooms for accomodations, were given per diems that were provided 'to go select the food ourselves,' and that the prize money was 'significantly more than any other meet that's available to the athletes.' 'I think at the very least, it gave us the blueprint of how a meet could be run and what's possible,' Brown said. 'Getting out of that myopic viewpoint that we have to follow the same model and do things that we've been doing for decades that has led to stagnation in the sport and not allow us to evolve and grow and adapt like all the other sports have. 'So, I think just showing that athletes can be at the forefront. We have stars in our sports, and the more support we get behind it, the bigger it's going to be.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2025.
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
‘It was just an honour': 10-year-old Ontarian becomes first Canadian World Ninja League champion for her division
Ella Crichlow-Mainguy at the World Ninja League Championships, right after winning the global title for her division. (Rachel Mainguy) Even though Ella Crichlow-Mainguy had to go through some hoops to make it to the World Ninja Championship, the 10-year-old Ontarian cleared the obstacles to clinch a global division title. The Acton, Ont. athlete says she first got into the sport a couple of years ago when she noticed a group training at the gym. 'I did rock climbing at Aspire Milton, and at the same gym where I did rock climbing, they had Ninja Warrior, and I just loved to watch 'American Ninja Warrior,'' Crichlow-Mainguy tells CTV News Toronto, referring to the televised show. She said once she tried it, she just couldn't stop. For those unfamiliar with this sport, ninja tests athletes through a variety of strength-testing obstacles. There are various stages with each that need to be cleared—either by hitting the buzzer or having a fast pace—before making it to the next round. 'There are canvassing obstacles, where there are like, cliffhangers, which are little ledges that you just have to hold on to with your fingers. There are aerial obstacles, which are latches, which are where you have to throw from one bar to another,' Crichlow-Mainguy explained. Competing Ella Crichlow-Mainguy at the world championships. (Rachel Mainguy) The young athlete adds that there are also obstacles that test for balance and grip strength. For the last two years, Crichlow-Mainguy would train twice a week with her team to go through these various challenges, as well as build up her endurance. When she's not at the gym, Crichlow-Mainguy practices at the makeshift rig at her home. 'Imagine something that looks like monkey bars for adults, and then things are hanging off of it,' Rachel Mainguy, Ella's mother, explained to CTV News. 'There's all these obstacles in our backyard right now.' Making it to the World Ninja League Championship The World Ninja League Championship was held in Greensboro, N.C from June 19 to June 23. To make it there, Mainguy says they had to take a connecting flight to Atlanta, Ga., which was supposed to leave at around 12:15 p.m. that Thursday but when they arrived at the airport, their flight was delayed. 'We missed our connectors, so now we're in Atlanta, it's probably 11 at night, we have no way to get to Greensboro,' Mainguy recalled, noting several other people had missed their connections. 'Now Delta is telling us we have to get in a lineup of 136 people, and they'll get to us by one in the morning.' The first event for Crichlow-Mainguy's division started Friday morning. The mother and daughter explained that they tried searching for rental cars, but none were available. 'Then, luckily, someone at the desk finds a flight that must have just populated for early in the morning and manages to get us on and Ella ends up sleeping on the airport floor on top of paper towels with her teammate,' Mainguy said. They arrived in North Carolina with enough time for Crichlow-Mainguy to change clothes and head to the coliseum to compete. 'It was just an honour' There were two events: the stages, which is where athletes can compete for the title of world champion in their division, and the discipline circuit. The first stage had seven obstacles with a time limit of one minute and 15 seconds, and the second stage had eight obstacles with a time limit of two minutes and 30 seconds, according to the championship rulebook. After each stage, those who did not hit the buzzer or finish with a competitive time would be eliminated from the next round, Mainguy said. 'Around 70 (athletes) got to compete on the final course,' Ella's mom adds, a drop from around the couple hundred that started. There was one particular obstacle in the third stage that Crichlow-Mainguy said was the most challenging part of the whole competition. 'There was this really cool obstacle, it was like a tipping L, and you have to climb to the top on these tiny little ledges with your hands and then it tipped down, and you could fall off if you didn't hold super tight,' she explained. Ella Crichlow-Mainguy Ella Crichlow-Mainguy competing in Stage 3 at the world championship. (Rachel Mainguy) Through the obstacles, Crichlow-Mainguy said her thoughts turned off and all she heard was her coach's voice 'Usually, he tells me to be confident and to commit to everything,' she said. And the 10-year-old then won the championship title among the mature kids female athletes. 'It was just an honour,' she said. 'I could tell how hard (the other athletes) worked for the whole year, so it was just an honour to even be there with them.' Crichlow-Mainguy's coach, Matt Hallak, told CTV News Toronto that not only was she the first ever world champion for their Milton, Ont.-based team, she 'cemented her name as Canada's first ever Mature Kid Female World Champion.' Ella and her coach Ella Crichlow-Mainguy and her coach Matt 'the Bat' Hallak. (Rachel Mainguy) 'Ella and her teammates made Canada proud and she is only just getting started…I can't wait to see what else happens for her in the upcoming season as this year she became the 20225 Canadian ninja League Champion and the 2025 World Ninja League Champion dominating in both our biggest events of the year,' Hallak said in an emailed statement. Next year, Crichlow-Mainguy will move up a division to compete with the preteens—something she's looking forward to as the obstacles become more challenging. 'I've been watching on the sidelines, the preteens get such really cool obstacles,' she said. I'm just really excited to try them.'
Winnipeg Free Press
4 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Yankees try to keep home win streak alive, host the Athletics
Athletics (33-51, fifth in the AL West) vs. New York Yankees (47-34, first in the AL East) New York; Saturday, 1:05 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Athletics: JP Sears (5-7, 5.44 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 63 strikeouts); Yankees: Clarke Schmidt (4-3, 2.84 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 65 strikeouts) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Yankees -248, Athletics +202; over/under is 9 runs BOTTOM LINE: The New York Yankees host the Athletics trying to continue a three-game home winning streak. New York has a 25-16 record in home games and a 47-34 record overall. Yankees pitchers have a collective 3.43 ERA, which ranks third in the AL. The Athletics have a 33-51 record overall and an 18-24 record in road games. Athletics hitters have a collective .407 slugging percentage to rank fifth in the AL. Saturday's game is the fifth time these teams meet this season. The Yankees hold a 3-1 advantage in the season series. TOP PERFORMERS: Cody Bellinger has 14 doubles, three triples, 10 home runs and 39 RBIs while hitting .264 for the Yankees. Trent Grisham is 12 for 42 with four doubles and two home runs over the last 10 games. Brent Rooker leads the Athletics with 16 home runs while slugging .479. Nick Kurtz is 12 for 37 with two doubles, four home runs and nine RBIs over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Yankees: 5-5, .248 batting average, 2.60 ERA, outscored opponents by 11 runs Athletics: 3-7, .214 batting average, 5.42 ERA, outscored by 31 runs INJURIES: Yankees: Ryan Yarbrough: 15-Day IL (oblique), Oswaldo Cabrera: 60-Day IL (ankle), Yerry De Los Santos: 15-Day IL (elbow), Marcus Stroman: 15-Day IL (knee), Jake Cousins: 60-Day IL (elbow), Gerrit Cole: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Gil: 60-Day IL (back) Athletics: Gunnar Hoglund: 60-Day IL (hip), Grant Holman: 15-Day IL (shoulder), Shea Langeliers: 10-Day IL (oblique), Miguel Andujar: 10-Day IL (oblique), Zack Gelof: 60-Day IL (hand), Jose Leclerc: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Brady Basso: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Ken Waldichuk: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Medina: 60-Day IL (elbow) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
