Faith Kipyegon is set to return to the track when she lines up for the women’s 3,000m at the Monaco Diamond League meeting, days after suffering a rare defeat at the Prefontaine Classic.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The world record holder is among the headline athletes confirmed for the Herculis EBS meeting on Friday, July 10, at Stade Louis II, a venue where she has produced some of the greatest performances of her career.

At the Wanda Diamond League meeting in 2023, Kipyegon set the women’s mile world record at 4:07.64.

The women’s 3,000m has been billed as one of the most highly anticipated events of the meeting, with several of the world’s leading distance runners set to compete.

📌 What You Need to Know

Kipyegon will be joined by fellow Kenyan and World Cross Country Champion Agnes Ngetich, who in June won the Mastercard New York Mini 10K in 30:06, breaking the previous record for the fastest 10K ever run by a woman in the United States.

The field will also feature Italy’s Nadia Battocletti, Australia’s Jessica Hull, Canada’s Gabriela Debues-Stafford, France’s Cassandre Beaugrand, Burundi’s Francine Niyomukunzi, Japan’s Nozomi Tanaka, Belgium’s Jana Van Lent, as well as Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu, Senayet Getachew, Aleshign Baweke, Bernesh Dessie and Yenenesh Shimket.

Kipyegon’s return comes after her five-year winning streak in the Diamond League 1500m and mile races ended at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon on July 4.

The triple Olympic champion was overtaken in the closing stages of the women’s mile by American Nikki Hiltz, marking her first Diamond League defeat over the distance since 2021.

The Monaco race will also see Kipyegon continue expanding her racing programme into longer-distance events.

In recent seasons, she has openly spoken about challenging herself by taking on races beyond the 1,500m as her career progresses.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke