Feature: Kenyan athlete Kipyegon staying upbeat for next limit-defying leap

by sportswriters Wang Qi, Wang Guansen and Li Zhuoqun

NAIROBI, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- Records fell. Stardom soared. Yet Kenyan athlete Faith Kipyegon remains true to form - an ever-smiling runner who holds that a woman, be it herself or another, will continue to push limits a step further.

With a black cap pulled low, the three-time Olympic champion made an unassuming return to a jubilant home crowd at Nairobi's Ulinzi Sports Complex in late July.

Fresh from an iconic "Breaking4" mile challenge and a new 1,500m world record at the 50th Prefontaine Classic, Kipyegon has yet to conclude a career-defining season this early, as another World Athletics Championships is on the cards.

When her name was called during Kenya's 58-member squad announcement, the track veteran quietly followed the 1.82-meter Timothy Cheruiyot into the spotlight.

The homecoming heroine gave the audience a warm wave before cordially greeting 2024 Paris Olympic teammate Susan Ejore, 800m world champion Mary Moraa, and anyone else who reached out for a hug, handshake, fist bump, high-five, or simply a few words.

For some, the ticket to Tokyo was hard-earned among 150 elite contenders during the day-long Kenyan trials, before Japan's capital hosts the 20th edition of the world championships from September 13 to 21.

Meanwhile, Kipyegon took a well-deserved break, having already secured automatic qualification as the reigning world champion in both 1500m and 5000m events.

"I feel so good being a spectator today, as I was not competing," Kipyegon told Xinhua at the national trials. "So I took the opportunity to just meet with my fans and have fun."

"My training routine is very tough. Tokyo is no joke. Everybody is going for the gold medal. I'm looking forward to staying healthy," she revealed.

Gradually enveloped by a sea of taller compatriots, the 1.57-meter-tall Kipyegon cast a modest figure on the center stage. Yet her track prowess, especially in middle-distance events, is impossible to ignore.

Kipyegon began competing at 14. Two years later, she made headlines at the World Junior Cross Country Championships, racing barefoot on her first international debut.

Now a mother to a seven-year-old girl, the once-barefooted prodigy boasts an impressive collection of accolades: three back-to-back Olympic gold medals, four World Championships titles, six Diamond League Final victories, and 29 Diamond League titles, among others.

In 2023, Kipyegon held world records in the 1500m, 5000m and one-mile disciplines, until Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay raised the 5000m bar months later.

With world records, Olympic golds, world titles and a trove of Diamond League wins under one's belt, 31-year-old Kipyegon wasn't done chasing history. A bid to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes emerged.

During a choreographed exhibition in Stade Charlety, however, the timer denied the world's fastest female miler at 4:06.42, despite 1.22 seconds shaved off her personal best.

In hindsight, Kipyegon considered her Paris run a success. "I am still happy that I've dreamed of trying and now tried something special that no woman had done before," she shared.

"It was only that the clock said something different from what I expected," Kipyegon noted. "You first have to try before being successful. Even if the first attempt doesn't work out, you can try for a second time and then succeed."

For one of the world's most decorated runners like Kipyegon, crossing the finish line meant more than the digits on the clock.

"It was a message sent out that it [to run under four minutes] is possible. If it does not come my way, it could happen for another woman, one day, one time," she affirmed.

Just over a week after her sub-four-minute attempt, Kipyegon stunned the athletics community once more at the Prefontaine Classic, smashing the women's 1500m world record for a third time with a time of 3:48.68.

"My life changed. Now, many people know me. They are giving attention to you," she acknowledged.

As journalists flocked to the national trials and the unveiling of Kenya's team for the World Athletics Championships, Kipyegon scurried between the outdoor stage and an indoor lounge, mindful not to divert attention from the day's focal point.

In contrast, she actively used her influence to help electrify her childhood village, join current women's 5000m world record holder Beatrice Chebet in advocating for better training facilities for Kenyan athletes, and encourage youngsters to break free from any self-imposed cage.

Kipyegon also recalled that she met a few runners from China, though their interactions were limited. "I would love to visit China one day to meet young girls and boys, and tell them, 'We should explore our talents and grow with them,'" she said.

The national trials reached an unexpected climax where five-year-old Leah Minage came out of nowhere and completed a full lap of the 400m track.

Kipyegon inspired children to dream big and emphasized perseverance in her message to future generations.

"Nothing comes easy. You have to work hard and be patient. If you want a shortcut, it will never lead you anywhere," she said. "Just believe in yourself, train and be disciplined, and you will achieve it."

The track veteran delivered another breakout performance at this month's Silesia Diamond League meet in Poland, clocking 8:07.04 in the 3000m - just under a second shy of the long-standing world record set by China's Wang Junxia in 1993.

As all eyes turn to the starting line at the Japan National Stadium for Kipyegon's next appearance, the Kenyan star is toning down her goal.

"To just run, especially to represent my country in Tokyo," she replied, flashing a smile and dropping a teaser. "I think the last race of the season will be at Athlos in the United States." ■