Three-time Olympic 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon will look to bounce back from her failed ‘Breaking4’ attempt when she competes in the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field, Eugene, on Saturday.
Just over a week ago, the three-time Olympic 1500m champion failed to beat four minutes over the mile in Paris.
Kipyegon clocked 4:06.42, comfortably within her own world record pace of 4:07.64 she clocked in Monaco in 2023.
“I dared to try. I will not lose hope, I will still go for the sub-four, if not in a special race like this, then in the Diamond League. I hope I will get it one day,” Kipyegon said afterwards.
She targets a record-extending seventh 1,500m title at Hayward Field.
It's the second Diamond League appearance of the season for the four-time world champion after Xiamen on April 26.
In Xiamen, Kipyegon competed in the 1,000m race, which she won in 2:29.21 ahead of Australians Abbey Caldwell (2:32.94) and Sarah Billings (2:33.45).
She had targeted the long-standing 2:28.98 world record of Russian Svetlana Masterkova from Brussels in 1996.
Kipyegon made her debut at the Pre Classic in 2013, finishing second in 4:01.08 behind compatriot Hellen Obiri (3:58.58).
She placed third the following year in 3:58.01 behind Obiri (3:57.05) and Sweden’s Abeba Aregawi (3:57.57).
In 2015, she featured in the 5,000m event, placing second in 14:31.95 behind Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba (14:19.76).
She claimed her first Pre Classic title in 2016 (3:56.41) and added victories in 2017 (3:59.22) and 2019 (3:59.04).
The world record holder over 1,500m (3:49.04) returned in 2021, storming to a 3:53.23 victory before going on to secure straight victories in 2022 (3:52.59) and 2023 (3:50.72).
Joining Kipyegon in Eugene is Olympian Susan Ejore as they battle a strong Ethiopian contingent led by 2023 world silver medallist Diribe Welteji, two-time World Indoor champion Freweyni Hailu and 2024 African Championships champion Saron Berhe.
Also in the mix are Olympic bronze medallist Georgia Bell of Britain, silver medallist Jessica Hull of Australia and 2024 World Indoor silver medallist Nikki Hiltz of the US.
