Kenyan athlete and Triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon will try on June 26 to be the first woman to run a mile below four minutes, a challenge that she will think of the Charléty Stadium in Paris and where, she recognized Wednesday, was “mental demanding”, though facing it in a “positive” attitude.
“In my opinion, for me it’s about being strong in thinking and believing in everything I do: believe in training, to get up every day to inspire the next generation, and to all who have brought me from my start to where I am today,” Kipyegon said at a virtual press conference.
The 31 -Year -old athlete established in 2023 is the current mile record of the women’s world, with a time of 4: 07.64, so he will need to reduce it more than seven seconds to reach the historic brand. 71 years ago, in 1954, the British Roger Bannister made history by becoming the first person to go down to 4 minutes on miles, an act that remains one of the most remembered in this sport.
Kipyegon was the first woman to win gold at 1,500 meters in three consecutive Olympic games, after her success in Paris last year, and also held the world record at that distance.
In addition, it has three world titles at 1,500 meters and a gold medal at 5,000, winning the World Cups of 2023.
During the press conference, the Kenyan athlete assured that he was motivating him to “many” think that “what a man could do, could do a woman as well.”
“It reminds me that there are no limitations. You need to dream, believe the same and pursue those dreams. It’s not just the thing; we all have capacity,” he said.
Asked about his preparation for this challenge, he explained that he followed the same training he was doing before a game at Olympic or World, but with another thought: “The goal is to achieve something big, such as destroying the four -minute barrier.”
“This is a great challenge because nothing has been tried before. It makes me ask how the race is going, if I can maintain speed (…). It’s demanding, but I try to stay positive and simply enjoy it,” Kipyegon said.
Part of her motivation, she said, came from the desire to inspire new generations and, as a mother, trust that their daughter and other little girls are seen in their efforts to be an example without impossible barriers.
“Breaking 4 minutes would be a very significant moment in my career. Not only for me, but for all the women and women who see me (…). It will be part of my heritage and a message of hope,” he said.
“To the girls, especially the smallest like my daughter, I want to tell them that they should not limit themselves. They must dream big and fight those dreams,” he said.
Source: La Verdad
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