Latest news with #fourMinuteMile
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Faith Kipyegon certain a woman will break four-minute mile barrier within a decade
Faith Kipyegon remains convinced that a woman will break the four-minute mile barrier within 10 years, despite falling more than six seconds short in her record attempt in Paris. It was a disappointing result for Kipyegon and her sponsors Nike, who had hoped that aerodynamic skinsuits, lighter superspikes and a team of 13 pacers would help the 31-year-old Kenyan get within touching distance of the famous mark. But speaking to the Guardian on the morning after running 4min 06.22sec in Paris, Kipyegon insisted that she was still proud to have rolled the dice – and to have run a mile quicker than any woman in history. She also predicted that the new technology was coming that would also help Britain's Keely Hodgkinson break the women's 800m world record of 1min 53.28sec which has stood since 1983. 'Absolutely there will be a woman running a mile in under four minutes,' she said. 'And I think it will take less than 10 years. And if it doesn't come my way, it will be someone else doing it.' Asked why she was so confident, given the gap was still more than six seconds, she replied: 'Going forward, the technology will be even higher than what I was using yesterday. So I think one day, one time, it will happen.' Kipyegon admitted that she had struggled in the final 200m, having heard the bell in 3:01. But she insisted that she would have changed anything about her attempt. 'Birds sometimes fall but they fly again,' she said. 'I believe I will still lower the world record of 4.07. I want to get it very close to the four minutes mark. And I believe I can still run under 4.05 in a race with female pacemakers.' Kipyegon's next race will be over 1500m at the Prefontaine Classic next week, and she insists she is in shape to challenge her world record of 3min 49sec. However she said there are no plans yet to have another crack at the four-minute mile barrier. Meanwhile in Paris she also spoke to Hodgkinson, who told her she is hungry to go faster in the future once she has recovered from a hamstring injury. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion 'I talked with Keely yesterday about everything,' said Kipyegon. 'And my run was a huge inspiration for her. She's hungry to go under 1.54 in the 800m. And I think Keely Hodgkinson one day, one time, will run under 1.53. She is so fast.' Nike's chief innovation officer, Tony Bignell, who has worked with the company since helping design spikes for Michael Johnson at the Atlanta and Sydney Games, promised that there would be more innovation and attempts at breaking records. 'Yes, I've seen things in the lab, and I've put things on my foot where I've thought: 'I've never felt that before,'' said Bignell. 'And that's coming. Last night could have been anywhere on a scale of zero to 10, but we took the risk. And taking risks is a good thing.'
Bloomberg
7 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Nike Is Running Up That Tariff Hill
Faith Kipyegon's Nike Inc.-backed effort Thursday to become the first woman to shatter the four-minute mile fell short by six seconds. 'You have to dare to try,' said Nike Chief Executive Officer Elliott Hill, on the analysts' call following both the attempt in Paris and the company's fourth-quarter results.
CNN
a day ago
- Sport
- CNN
Faith Kipyegon, in attempt to break 4-minute-mile barrier, finishes in 4:06.42 – faster than her world record in the event
Faith Kipyegon on Thursday fell short in her quest to become the first woman in history to run a four-minute mile, clocking a time of 4:06.42 at a Nike-organized event in Paris. Kipyegon ran more than a second faster than her own world record of 4:07.64, which she set in 2023, but Thursday's performance didn't count as an official time. A four-minute mile would have been the latest achievement in the 31-year-old Kipyegon's glittering career, adding to her three Olympic gold medals and four world titles – all but one of which have come in the 1,500 meters. 'Exhausted. I'm tired, but I feel good I've tried,' Kipyegon said. 'That is why I was coming here to try to be the first woman to run under four minutes, but I have proven that it is possible. 'It's only a matter of time that I think it will come our way. If it's not me, it'll be somebody else. I know one day, one time, a woman will run under four. I will not lose hope. I will still go for it. I hope I will get one day, one time.' Running in an aerodynamic suit and a new pair of super-light Nike spikes, Kipyegon was supported by pacemakers on the Charléty Stadium track in Paris – all of which were intended to maximize her performance over the mile. Following the attempt in front of a cheering crowd, Kipyegon offered an inspiring message to young girls and women watching. 'I think I will tell them, we are not limited. We can limit ourselves through thoughts, but I think we are possible to try everything in our lives and prove to the world that we are strong and we keep pushing,' she said. Even with those conditions in place, shaving almost eight seconds from her official world record was judged to have been a tall order by many, particularly over a distance defined by ultra-fine margins. The event, which Nike called Breaking4, is similar to the two events organized around Eliud Kipchoge's attempt to run a sub-two-hour marathon for the first time. Kipchoge fell short in his first attempt in Monza, Italy, in 2017, an event hosted by Nike and labeled Breaking2. However, he successfully ran 1:59.40 for the 26.2-mile distance in Vienna, Austria, two years later while being backed by petrochemical company Ineos. Like Thursday's mile performance of his fellow Kenyan, Kipchoge's run didn't count as an official world record, though he remains the only man to run a sub-two-hour marathon. He was in attendance Thursday for Kipyegon's effort. A four-minute mile has long been recognized as an iconic landmark in running, first achieved by Great Britain's Roger Bannister in 1954. Today, sub-four-minute miles are commonplace in men's running, with New Zealander Sam Ruthe recently becoming the youngest person to do it at the age of 15 earlier this year. On top of winning her third straight 1,500-meter title at the Paris Olympics last year, the Kenyan also won a silver in the 5,000 meters, taking her career medal tally to four at the Olympics and six at the world championships.
The Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Breaking 4: How to watch Faith Kipyegon's mile record attempt
Faith Kipyegon will attempt to become the first woman to breach the four-minute barrier for a mile as the Kenyan bids for history in Paris. While more than 2,000 men have covered the distance inside four minutes since Roger Bannister's remarkable run in 1954, no female athlete has ever come particularly close to the mark. Indeed, it is three-time Olympic 1500m champion Kipyegon who currently holds the record over the slightly longer distance, with the 31-year-old needing to shave almost eight seconds off her best to do so. Her effort at Stade Charlety will not count as an official record given the assistance of 'super shoes' and male pacers yet will be eagerly watched - much like Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two hour marathon in Vienna in 2019, an effort that helped inspire this challenge. Here's everything you need to know. When is Faith Kipyegon's four-minute mile attempt? Faith Kipyegon will attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under 4 minutes on Thursday 26 June at a special event at Stade Charlety in Paris. The Nike-backed bid is expected to take place at about 7pm BST. How can I watch it? Fans around the world can tune in to on Nike's YouTube and Instagram, with coverage from 6.15pm BST. A documentary charting Kipyegon's efforts will also be available to watch on Amazon Prime Video after the event. What help will Kipyegon have? Much like compatriot Kipchoge had in setting his marathon mark, Kipyegon will enjoy some assistance as she bids to dip below four minutes. A new generation of 'super shoes' - incredibly light but springy spikes - are being tested on Nike athletes having already helped runners both recreational and elite smash their best times, while the Kenyan is also expected to have a number of male pacemakers at her disposal to help her draft, reducing wind resistance. The middle-distance runner has been training at altitude ahead of the attempt and will wear a special running suit and sports bra, both utilising new technology.
