Faith Kipyegon ends season in style with Athlos New York City win

After shining at the inaugural Athlos New York City meet yesterday, three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon sets out for a holiday, with beautiful memories of a successful track season.

From winning her third Olympic 1500m title in Paris in August, to lowering her own record, to lifting a fifth career Diamond League title, and now, walking away with Sh7.7 million prize after winning the Athlos NYC women-only meet, Kipyegon is looking forward to one of her happiest off-seasons.

“It has been a very busy season. My family has been seeing me off most of the time. I get into the house and before I settle down, I am going out again. I have not had time with them this season,” Kipyegon had said after winning the Diamond League title in Brussels.

As she signed off the Diamond League season in Brussels on September 14 in style, Kipyegon promised to end the track and field period with a win at the Athlos NYC.

And she delivered the promise, easily winning the race in 4:04.79 ahead of second-placed Diribe Welteji (4:05.58), a world silver medallist, from Ethiopia.

Susan Ejore-Sanders, another Kenyan star in the field, finished third in the 1500m battle. The Olympian timed 4:06.25.

On Thursday night (Eastern American Time and morning hours in Kenya), Kipyegon continued to confirm that she was the women’s 1500m GOAT.

The four-time world champion produced a blistering sprint at 200m to the finish, leaving Welteji struggling to catch up. She continued her three-year winning streak.

The 800m race turned out to be one of the most thrilling competitions in the NYC extravaganza, with five out of six women in the contest racing under two minutes.

Olympic bronze medallist Mary Moraa, fresh off from a Diamond League trophy, faced a strong challenge from Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma, stopping the timer in 1:58.05, for a second place.

Duguma, an Olympic silver medallist, also from 2024 Paris took the crown in an impressive 1:57.43 as Natoya Goule-Toppin of Jamaica closed the 800m podium in 1:58.63.

Reigning Olympic champion, Dominican star Marileidy Paulino, sprinted to a hard-fought victory in 49.59 in the 400m race, capping an undefeated season.  

Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico won the 100m hurdles in 12.36, holding off Alaysha Johnson (12.43) and Paris Olympic champion Masai Russell, who crossed the line third in 12.44.

American sprinter, Olympic bronze medallist Brittany Brown, claimed victory in the 200m, stunning Olympic champion Gabby Thomas.

Brown also took part in the 100m, dashing to a second place in the contest won by Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou-Smith in 10.98.

Alexis Ohanian, the Reddit co-founder who previously invested in women’s sports with Angel City FC founded the event and launched it in April.

Ohanian, who promised on Thursday that Athlos women’s meet will be an annual event had billed the NYC contest as an event that would give women athletics more prominence.