Meet Faith Kipyegon, the 1500m world record holder who is eying a historic third consecutive gold at Paris Olympics

Faith Kipyegon is undoubtedly one of the most successful athletes of track and field heading into the Paris Olympics. The Kenyan has broken multiple world records, and boasts a long resume cluttered with World and Olympic medals.

Despite a late start to her season due to injury, the Kenyan was phenomenal at the national Olympic Trials, securing her berth in both the 1,500m and 5,000m teams with ease. In the 1500m event, Kipyegon will enter the field as the two-time defending champion, while the 5000m race will mark her Olympic debut in the distance.

As the 30-year-old gets ready to add yet another Olympic gold to her collection, here's everything you need to know about her, on and off the track.

Faith Kipyegon's family and hometown

Kipyegon was born to parents Samuel Kipyegon Koech and Linah Koech. Her father was a 400m and 800m runner when he was young. Faith Kipyegon is one of nine siblings, seven of which are older than her. Her sister, Beatrice Mutai, is also a runner, having competed at the World Cross Country Championships as well as in the Commonwealth Games.

Kipyegon hails from Ndabibit, a village near Keringet, Nakuru County in the Kenyan Rift Valley, and comes from a Kalenjin tribe. The runner is married to fellow athlete and London Olympics 800m bronze medalist Timothy Kitum. The couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Alyn in 2018.

Faith Kipyegon’s coach

Kipyegon is coached by former 3000m steeplechase runner Patrick Sang. As an athlete, Sang was the Olympic silver-medalist in 1992, and the World Championships silver-medalist in 1991 and 1993. He was also the 1997 All-Africa Games champion. As a coach, Sang is also responsible for former marathon world record holder, Eliud Kipchoge.

How many world records has Faith Kipyegon broken?

Over the course of her illustrious career, Kipyegon has broken four world records, two of which stand till date. In June of 2023, the Kenyan stopped the clock at 3:49.11 while running the 1500m Golden Gala Pietro Mennea, taking nearly a second off the previous world record and becoming the first woman to dip under the 3 minute 50 second mark. In 2024, the Olympic champion bettered her own world record with a 3:49.04.

In 2023, just a week after the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea, Kipyegon clocked a 5,000m world record of 14:05.20, a time that has since been breached by Gudaf Tsegay. A little after her world record breaking performances in the 1,500 and 5000 m distances, the Kenyan ran 04:07.64 at the mile, setting a new world record that still stands.

How many World Championships and Olympic medals does Faith Kipyegon have?

Faith Kipyegon has a collective total of eight World Championships and Olympic medals, six of which are gold. Her first medal at a major competition was a 1500m silver at the Beijing World Athletics Championships.

In 2016, Kipyegon became an Olympic medalist for the first time when she stormed to the 1500m title at the Rio Games. A year later, she upgraded her World Championships' silver to a gold. After giving birth to her daughter in 2018, the 30-year-old was back in the track a year later, finishing with yet another silver at the Doha World Championships.

In 2021, Kipyegon defended her Olympic 1500m title, before going on to reclaim her World Championships gold in 2022. She successfully defended that title in 2023, while simultaneously adding a 5,000m gold to her collection.