There was heartbreak for Faith Kipyegon as she narrowly missed her attempt to become the first-ever woman to run a mile in less than four minutes.
Kipyegon, a triple Olympic gold medallist, needed to shave a massive 7.65 seconds off her own world record time of 4:07.64, which she set nearly two years ago during a Diamond League meet in Monaco.
In what was a star-studded occasion in Paris, the 31-year-old came incredibly close to running a sub-4-minute mile race as she clocked an impressive 4:06:42.
Despite the disappointment, Kipyegon effectively shaved more than one second from her previous record, further cementing her place as the fastest woman to run a mile in history.
Flanked by 15 pacemakers, Kipyegon started the race positively, covering the first lap with a time of 61.55 seconds.
As the race wore on, the three-time 1500m champion was well ahead of her previous record, maintaining a green light by the time she was heading to the final stretch.
At the bell for the final lap, Kipyegon clocked 3:01.84, slightly off the target pace to break the sub-4-minute barrier, but still in the green lights.
With the help of a smaller group of pacemakers to try to keep the wind at a minimum, Kipyegon gave it her all in the final lap, but ultimately just fell short.
While she appeared briefly disappointed in the seconds after the race, Kipyegon was offered support by fellow track legend Eliud Kipchoge and her team. A moment later, the disappointment turned into joy as the 1500m gem came to terms with what she had just achieved.
Speaking after the race, Kipyegon was full of optimism as she strongly suggested she would take a stab at the challenge to run the mile again.
"I feel good; I've tried. I have proven what's possible. It's only a matter of time, and I know one day a woman will run under 4 minutes. If it is not me, it will be someone else," she said.
"Even without these conditions, I will still go for it. I want to thank everyone who came to cheer me on. This was really special, and I am so grateful I have proved to the world that everything is possible."
