Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon spent 2023 writing history, in a very personal way.
The 29-year-old runner broke world records over 1500m, one mile and 5,000m and shattered expectations to cement her status as the undisputed queen of track this year.
“I wrote in my diary that 2023 will be a special year and it came true,” she told BBC Sport Africa.
Aside from her records, Kipyegon won two World Championship gold medals and picked up a fourth Diamond League trophy in a season where self-belief fuelled her desire to succeed.
“I believed in myself more than I believed in myself years back, that is what changed,” Kipyegon explained.
With her time over 5,000m bettered by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay in September, the 1500m world record Kipyegon broke back in June in Florence has pride of place in her list of achievements this year.
With a time of three minutes and 49.11 seconds, Kipyegon became the first woman to run the middle-distance event in under three minutes and 50 seconds – an achievement celebrated even by those she beat.
“I’ve been working hard to achieve, especially the 1500m world record, which was missing from my trophies, because I have all the medals from World Championships and Olympics,” she reflects.
“In 2021 I tried [to break the 1500m world record] in Monaco. In 2022 I tried again but I didn’t get it.
“But now I have it. I have been patient to get this historical milestone.”
“For the other competitors to come and celebrate with me was the most emotional moment for me, because I think I was the first to be celebrated on track like that. It has never happened in athletics.”
