Faith Kipyegon broke the world record for the women’s 1500 metres at the Florence Diamond League on Friday with a time of three minutes 49.11 seconds.
The 29-year-old Kenyan bettered the previous best of 3:50.07 set by Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba in Monaco in 2015.
“I’m so excited, so happy, I didn’t expect this. I was expecting a world lead, not a world record, but I’m so grateful,” Kipyegon said to broadcaster RAI.
“As I said today and yesterday everything is possible.”
Kipyegon, considered the greatest ever woman in the discipline with two world and two Olympic titles to her name, crushed the rest of the field in Tuscany.
She finished more than 12 seconds ahead of reigning European champion Laura Muir and Australia’s Jessica Hull.
