'I Did Not See the Clock'- Faith Kipyegon Reacts After Narrow Miss in 3000m World Record Chase

Kenya's Faith Kipyegon might have missed the women's 3000 metres world record by a fraction, but her stunning performance at Saturday's Silesia Diamond League locked her in as one of the all-time greats of middle-distance running.

Three-time Olympic title winner Kipyegon clocked 8:07.04, the second-fastest ever clocked, smashing the African, Diamond League, meeting, and national records in the process.

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The competition was held during blistering heat in the Polish city, where Kipyegon admitted the conditions played their part.

"It is all about Tokyo now. I am so happy. I wanted to run a longer distance. To be honest, I did not notice the clock on the finish line because I was so tired. But now I am very satisfied with the time," she explained in the media after the race.

Her blistering pace was set by American Sage Hurta-Klecker, who set the pace for the first 1,200m, and then later Australian Jessica Hull took charge of leading the pace to the 2,000m mark.

Although she narrowly missed Wang Junxia's world record of 1993 by 8:06.11, Kipyegon said she loved experiencing the atmosphere and event at Silesia.

"I have witnessed the world record red line when I was running during the race, but today it was too hot. I will return next year to this place. I enjoyed the crowd, I am content with it. I thank God what I have done," she said.

Kenyan sensation Mary Keitany, who recently shattered her own 1,500m world record at the Prefontaine Classic, continues to redefine the boundaries of women's distance running.

Her Silesia 3000m performance shaved more than 16 seconds off her personal best in 2014 and defined her dominance at several distances. Kipyegon's ability to run under 3:50 in the 1500m and now almost set the 3000m world record stands her out in history.

Her fellow Kenyan Beatrice Chebet had already done the groundwork earlier in the season by aiming for the same record at Rabat before smashing the 5,000m world record in Eugene. For Kipyegon, Saturday's run was just another step on her relentless journey for excellence.

"Any of those records, that is what I love to do. I would like to motivate the young ones and I love testing myself. Tokyo is a world championships race, anything can happen," Kipyegon stated, turning her mind to the upcoming world championships.

Kipyegon, who will be defending her 5,000m title in Tokyo, believes the high-pressure atmosphere will make her even better. With the form she is in, the world will be impatient to see if she can do it again on the biggest stage.

In Poland, she left the track not in disappointment but in satisfaction and new inspiration—proof that her chase for history is only just starting.