The “queen” of middle-distance running Faith Kipyegon has become the first woman to claim a double gold medal in the 1500 and 5000 metres in the same global athletics tournament.
The 29-year-old athlete from Kenya, who broke the world records for both races earlier this year, won her specialty 1500m race on Tuesday night at the World Athletics Championship in Budapest, a distance she hasn’t lost in two years.
Following the win, Kipyegon also claimed the top prize in the 5000m, which was just her sixth competitive run in the distance.
Kipyegon was thrilled with the record-breaking result after the race.
“This has been an amazing year for me. Making history today, winning two gold medals in a championship is what I was dreaming for this season,” she said.
“I have been patient waiting to be able to break records and win double golds. But my dream just came true, it is amazing.”
Kipyegon becoming the first double gold medalist at this year’s World Athletics Championship is one of many “firsts” she has achieved this season.
In June, she became the first woman to run 1500m in under 3:50, breaking the world record with a time of 3:49.11.
The same month, in her third competitive run at the 5000m, she broke the world record for the distance, completing the race with a time of 14:05.20.
Sports commentators have crowned Kipyegon, a double world record holder and double world athletics champion in 2023, with the title of the “queen” of middle-distance running.
In an interview with Al Jazeera ahead of the Doha Diamond League competition in May, Kipyegon spoke of her humble beginnings in Kenya, proving just how far her hard work has taken her.
“I used to run barefoot from my village to the primary school because in Kenya, schools are so far that you always end up running in order to reach them in time,” she said.
“I have loved [running] since I was a little girl, but I never thought I would become an Olympic champion one day.”
Kipyegon is currently ranked first in the world for the 1500m and is expected to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France next July.
The World Athletics Championships began last weekend in Budapest, Hungary, and has been filled with feel-good stories like Kipyegon’s history-making performance.
Last week, a two-and-a-half hour contest in the women’s world pole vault final between Australian Nina Kennedy and American Katie Moon ended in a heartwarming act of sportsmanship.
“Hey girl, you maybe wanna share this?” Kennedy asked Moon.
The pair decided to share the gold medal for the pole vault event.