The circle has been completed. In July 2015, your editor found himself watching Genzebe Dibaba breaking WR at 1,500m with her 3:50.07. On June 2, 2023, Stuart Weir had a live view of the new WR holder, Faith Kipyegon, setting WR at 1,500m with her 3:49.11 run in Florence!
Stuart is just beginning his travels for 2023, and he opened with a WR!
Faith Kipyegon is a woman of faith and focus. Stuart has spoken with her many times and it is great to see his enjoyment of this moment.
World record in women’s 1500
Faith Kipyegon must have been fed up with people asking her if she’s going to break the world record in the 1500m – and I have to admit that I asked her that very question in a video interview the day before the race. Watch it at https://twitter.com/i/status/1664227223501406210
In the final race of the Golden Gala program, Faith found a way of stopping the questioners in their tracks – by running 3:49.11 the record her own.
Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba set the existing record of 3:50.07 in 2015 with Faith already the second fastest ever with her 3:50.37 in Monaco last August.
In Florence, the pacemakers Brooke Feldmeier and Sage Hurta-Klecker did their job, going through 400m in 1:02.37 and 800m in 2:04.00, with Kipyegon just behind. She opened up the gap to those behind her with every stride to become the first woman ever to run under 3:50.
Britain’s Laura Muir was second in 3:57.09, a highly respectable early season time, but she seemed not even to be in the same race as Kipyegon. Muir has said previously that she believes Kipyegon to be the greatest middle-distance runner of all time, male or female. World Athletics president Seb Coe, who knows a bit about breaking world records in Florence (800m in 1:41.73 in 1981), was in the crowd.
Kipyegon said afterward: “I had a good finish and felt very, very strong at the end. I knew I had broken the world record when I crossed the finish line. I knew everything was possible. After 1000m, when the pacemaker went out, I just pushed myself toward the finish line. I am excited – my family was watching. I told them this would be an amazing day for me; I am well-prepared and trusted. I thank my coach, my manager, my family, my daughter, and everybody who was watching. I am going back to celebrate with my daughter. This was really important because this was something I was still missing in my…
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