Faith Kipyegon stunned the athletics world on Saturday evening after clocking the second-fastest time ever in the women’s 3000m at the Diamond League Meeting in Silesia.
The Kenyan middle-distance star stormed to an African record and meeting record of 8:07.04, narrowly missing the 31-year-old world record of 8:06.11 set by China’s Wang Junxia in 1993.
Full Results – Women’s 3000m
- Faith Kipyegon (KEN) – 8:07.04 AR DLR MR
- Likina Amebaw (ETH) – 8:34.53
- Aleshign Baweke (ETH) – 8:35.51
- Rose Davies (AUS) – 8:36.53 SB
- Maureen Koster (NED) – 8:36.71
- Lauren Ryan (AUS) – 8:37.56 PB
- Georgia Griffith (AUS) – 8:40.08
- Axumawit Embaye (ETH) – 8:40.20 PB
- Karissa Schweizer (USA) – 8:40.35
- Marta Alemayo (ETH) – 8:41.48
- Ella Donaghu (USA) – 8:42.91
- Mekedes Alemsehate (ETH) – 8:42.93 SB
- Nozomi Tanaka (JPN) – 8:45.80
- Alexandra Millard (GBR) – 8:46.27
- Charity Cherop (UGA) – 8:49.96 NU20R
- Diane van Es (NED) – 8:51.10
- Eloise Walker (GBR) – 8:52.46
DNF – Jessica Hull (AUS), Sage Hurta-Klecker (USA)
The three-time Olympic and four-time world champion was paced through the early laps by American Sage Hurta-Klecker and Australia’s Jessica Hull, but after Hull stepped off the track with two-and-a-half laps remaining, Kipyegon pushed on alone. Despite a powerful final lap, she fell just shy of adding another world record to her collection, which already includes the mile and 1500m, as well as a former 5000m mark.
Kipyegon’s performance comes just six weeks after lowering her own 1500m world record in Eugene. The run also marked a massive improvement from her previous 3000m personal best of 8:23.55, set back in 2014.
While the elusive world record remains out of reach for now, the Kenyan’s form continues to underline her dominance across middle and long-distance events.
