PARIS (AP) — Triple Olympic gold medalist Faith Kipyegon will try to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes later Thursday in Paris.
Kipyegon, a three-time Olympic 1,500-meter champion from Kenya, is already the world-record holder in the mile and 1,500. She will need to shave at least 7.65 seconds off her world record time of 4:07.64.
It was more than 71 years ago when British runner Roger Bannister became the first man to eclipse four minutes in 3:59.4.
"I want this attempt to say to women, 'You can dream and make your dreams valid,'" she said. "This is the way to go as women, to push boundaries and dream big."
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Kipyegon set the women's mile world record nearly two years ago during a Diamond League meet in Monaco. To improve it, Kipyegon will need to run each of her four laps an average of about two seconds faster.
The 31-year-old athlete won her third straight 1,500 Olympic title in Paris last August. A month before that, she broke her own 1,500 record on the same track where she will run on Thursday at Stade Charléty.
She will be wearing the latest innovations from Nike, from her aerodynamic track suit to her spikes. It's unclear how many pacemakers will accompany Kipyegon during the Nike-sponsored event dubbed " Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile."