Faith Kipyegon underlined her status as the queen of the 1500 m when she won her third consecutive Olympic title over the distance at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on Saturday (10), becoming the first woman to win three Olympic gold medals in a single track discipline.

Every step she took on the purple track of a packed Stade de France brought her closer to legendary status. The three-time 1500m world champion and world record holder ran fearlessly on the final lap to clock a time of 3:51.29, beating the Olympic record she set three years ago in Tokyo by two seconds.

As the 30-year-old Kenyan crossed the finish line, she savored the moment with her eyes closed, mouth open and hands open. Then she signaled for the crowd to cheer her on by punching the air.

“This is a big, big achievement,” said Kipyegon, who won silver in the 5000m at the previous Games. “I was really looking forward to defending my title and I had a dream. It’s incredible for me that I did it. I’m so, so happy. This is history. I managed to make history. I did it. This is an incredible honour; winning the gold medal in the 1500m was my main goal.”

Australia’s Jessica Hull, world record holder in the 2000-meter run, overtook world champion in the road mile Diribe Welteji to take the silver medal with a time of 3:52.56. Britain’s Georgia Bell also overtook Welteji shortly before the finish and took the bronze medal with a national record of 3:52.61.

“I envisioned a battle, the four of us at the top of the straight,” Hull said. “I thought to myself, ‘I’m not going to be the one going home without a medal.’ To see Georgia (Bell) do it is pretty incredible. We just finished second and third behind the greatest of all time.”

After completing the 5,000m twice, Kipyegon also ran the heats and semifinals of the 1,500m, managing just enough to advance in each round.

“After the disappointment of the 5000m (first being disqualified and then regaining it after an appeal), it took a lot of energy from me,” said Kipyegon. “I couldn’t sleep until yesterday. I just thought: ‘What’s going on?'”

Gudaf Tsegay, who ran a time of 3:50.30 earlier this year, was expected to be Kipyegon’s biggest challenger, but the Ethiopian had already competed in the 5,000m and 10,000m and finished outside the medal positions in both finals.

But with so many other women in the field breaking the 4:00 hour mark this year, it was no surprise that an Olympic record from Kipyegon was needed to win.

Tsegay set the pace from the start, followed by Americans Elle St Pierre, Bell and Welteji, while Kipyegon stayed back. A leading group of eight women formed before Kipyegon moved into second place, with Hull chasing the Kenyan.

When the bell rang, Kipyegon took the lead in the race, closely followed by Welteji and Hull, while Tsegay faded away, just as he had in the closing stages of the 5,000 m and 10,000 m.

Thanks to her rapid performance, Kipyegon was able to win her seventh world title at senior level – another golden addition to her daughter Alyn’s collection that she can wear around her neck.

Michelle Katami for World Athletics

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