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They might have lost to the Kenyan 1500m great but they put their rivalry aside to congratulate her for the incredible feat.
When Faith Kipyegon crossed the finish line to break the 1500m record at the Florence Diamond League last Friday, there was a rare moment of unity when those she had beaten went to celebrate with her.
The 29-year-old clocked a stunning 3:49.11 in Florence, finally surpassing the 3:50.07 that Genzebe Dibaba ran in Monaco eight years ago.
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13:22 - 03.06.2023
ATHLETICS Revealed: The millions Faith Kipyegon will earn for smashing world record in Florence
The two-time world and Olympic champion did not just cement her status as the greatest ever in 1,500m but will also return home with a big pay cheque
Kipyegon was already considered by many as the greatest female 1,500m runner in history because of her two Olympic and world crowns and cemented her legacy with the world record.
Such was the level of respect for Kipyegon in Florence that Laura Muir, Jessica Hull, and Cory Ann McGee – who finished third, seventh, and ninth respectively in Oregon – waited on the track to congratulate the Kenyan after her lap of honour.
Not only did the trio, plus the entire 1,500m field, hug Kipyegon but they posed for a photo, pointing at the double Olympic and world champion as she held the world record sign.
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15:32 - 05.06.2023
ATHLETICS Faith Kipyegon credits Eliud Kipchoge and his coach for her world record feat
The two-time Olympic and world champion feels her levels have gone a notch higher since joining the Kaptagat-based team in 2019
“When you’re trying to stick with the world record-holder, it’s going to be tough! I’m just so happy for Faith [Kipyegon], she deserves that so much,” Muir, who Kipyegon beat to win an Olympics gold in Tokyo told Scottish Athletics.
Ciara Mageean, a double European 1,500m medallist, finished second to Kipyegon in last year’s Diamond League final and was even more emphatic about her praise for the Kenyan.
“I crossed that line and I saw ‘world record’ and I was like ‘holy moly’. To be in a race where a world record was broken and to go to such an amazing woman is just fantastic,” she told Athletics Weekly.
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22:57 - 02.06.2023
ATHLETICS It's a world record!!!Faith Kipyegon cruises to victory at Diamond League Meeting in Florence
She clocked 3:49.11 to cut the tape ahead of Great Britain’s Laura Muir.
“I’m so delighted for her and that will be the highlight of that race for me, never mind my time! I’m not going to be a sub-3:50 runner and I know that.”
The group photo was as special as the run itself and spoke volumes of how Kipyegon is perceived as a person and not just an athlete. Benevolent and endearing, she radiates a warmth that is impossible not to notice.
Additional information from Athletics Weekly
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