Faith Kipyegon falls short in bid for first sub-four-minute mile
Kenya's Faith Kipyegon has fallen short in her attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes.
Kipyegon clocked 4:06.42 in a Nike "Breaking4" project, a time quicker than her 2023 world record (4:07.64).
But her effort, run at Stade Charléty in Paris, will not be ratified, given the circumstances in which the record attempt was held.
The three-time Olympic gold medallist was assisted by innovative kit, super-spikes and a group of mostly male pacers, who blocked the wind on the track where she set her 1,500m world record last year.
Dressed in a black one-pieced suit with arm warmers, the diminutive Kenyan was swamped by her group of pacers, who were all world-class athletes themselves.
In a pre-designed plan, a group of five men ran in a line in front of her as "the shield", with American double Olympic bronze medallist Grant Fisher on her shoulder.
She was about on course at halfway but began to slip behind the coloured pacing lights inside the track and drifted on the final lap as she tied up over the last 200m.
Those male pacers meant — just as with compatriot Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two-hour marathon run with "in and out" pacers in 2019 — the new mark will not be recognised as a world record.
Kipyegon, however, was her usual upbeat self at the finish.
"I'm tired but I feel good and I tried," said Kipyegon, as she thanked the crowd of around 1,000 spectators who had given her enthusiastic support.
"That is why I was coming here — to try to be the first woman to run under four minutes.
"It's only a matter of time but I think it will come our way. If it's not me, it will be someone else.
"I know one day, one time, a woman will run under four. I will not lose hope.
"I will still go for it and if there's not something like this, a special one, I think in a normal Diamond League (meet), or anything, I will still go for it and I hope I will get it one day."
Great Britain's Roger Bannister was the first man to run the mile under four minutes in1954.
Compatriot Diane Leather was the first woman to break five minutes in the same year.
The current men's world record is 3:43.13, set by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999.
Reuters
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