Faith Kipyegon Breaks Third World Record As Omanyala Records Victory

UPDATE: Kenyan sprinter, Ferdinand Omanyala, Africa's fastest man, on Friday, July 21 clinched his first-ever victory in the Diamond League, dipping under 10 seconds to win in Monaco on Friday night in a time of 9.92.

Omanyala narrowly edged out former World U20 Champion Letsile Tebogo, dipping his head across the line to edge out the Botswana youngster who timed 9.93.

Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake was third in 10.00, while namesake, former Olympic and World Champion Yohann Blake was fourth in 10.01.

Kenyan athlete and two-time Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon has broken her third world record.

On Friday, July 21, she ran 4:07.64 to obliterate the world mile record at the Monaco Diamond League.

She took off nearly five seconds from the previous mark of 4:12.33, becoming the first woman to dip under 4:10 in the distance, slightly around 1600m, a small elongation of her traditional 1500m race.

The 4:12.33 was last set by her long-time rival Sifan Hassan on the same track in 2019.

Athletics - Diamond League - Herculis - Stade Louis II, Monaco - July 21, 2023, Kenya's Faith Kipyegon celebrates after winning the women's 1-mile final and setting a new world record. /REUTERS

Ciara Mageean finished second in an Irish record of 4:14.58, placing her fifth on the world all-time list, while Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu was third in 4:14.79.

Kipyegon dominated the race from start to finish, as she stuck to the pacesetters throughout the opening two of the four laps in the race.

Schoffield Kristie and Uganda’s Winnie Nanyondo were tasked with ensuring a steady World Record place, with the wave light technology providing the extra boost of showing how far or close they were to the record pace.

With just two laps gone, Kipyegon had already created a massive gap between her and the rest of the pack and it was clearly a race between her and the wave light, especially once Nanyondo dropped off with 500m left.

At the bell, she was well within the mark and once she hit the penultimate bend, another record was nigh for her. As her tradition, Kipyegon powered more at the home stretch, running well within the world record to pick yet another massive feather in her already decorated hat.

The 29-year-old's latest feat was her first significant one in July, having enjoyed a splendid June where she broke the 1500m and 5,000m world records in the space of one week.

Ruto Awards Kipyegon For Breaking Two World Records

President William Ruto on Tuesday, June 13 awarded her for breaking the two world records in Florence Diamond League (Florence, Italy), and Wanda Diamond League (Paris).

Addressing the nation from State House Nairobi where he hosted Kipyegon, her family, and other athletes for breakfast, Ruto announced that Kipyegon would be given a house worth Ksh6 million.