After becoming the first athlete in history to win three Olympic 1500m gold medals, Faith Kipyegon was expected to become the first woman to break the four-minute mile barrier. After all, the Kenyan superstar had spent years almost untouched, collecting five world titles and breaking six world records. The last time she suffered back-to-back defeats was 10 years ago. Until today.

Nearly a decade after the last time, Kipyegon has lost two in a row. This time the reason behind her struggles is a “very bad injury.”

On July 10, Kipyegon lined up for the women’s 3000m at the Monaco Diamond League, hoping to return to the podium. However, the Olympic champion finished fourth with a time of 8:24.21. The race was won by fellow Kenyan Agnes Jebet Ngetich, who produced a world-leading performance of 8:08.95. Ngetich came close to breaking Junxia Wang’s world record of 8:06.11 and Kipyegon’s own 8:07.04 world record.

This was another rare defeat for Kipyegon. Just six days earlier, on July 4, 2026, she competed in the women’s mile at the Prefontaine Classic but finished third in 4:17.80. The result ended her unbeaten streak in the mile and 1500m races that had lasted for more than five years. Despite the disappointing results, Kipyegon revealed that the reason behind her struggles was not a loss of ability.

“I am just happy I could run again. Still, I am not feeling very healthy and am still battling a very bad injury, but I am glad I still managed to run,” Kipyegon said after her Monaco DL outing. “Losing is not good, but again, it is important to accept it when you are not 100% healthy. You need 100% to compete with the best people in the world.” Now, when did this injury happen?

The hamstring problem reportedly started around the Shanghai Diamond League on May 16, 2026. Kipyegon opened her season in the women’s 5000m and won the race in 14:24.14, but later revealed that the injury began around the same time. Since then, the issue has affected her training and preparation.

Before this season, the last time Kipyegon suffered back-to-back losses outside a global championship came in 2016, shortly after she became a top-level star. On August 27 that year, she finished second in the 1500m at the Paris Diamond League in 3:56.72, with Laura Muir taking the win in 3:55.22. Just five days later, Kipyegon finished seventh in the 1500m at the Zürich Diamond League Final, clocking 4:01.86 and completing a rare run of consecutive defeats.

What followed was one of the most dominant stretches the sport has ever seen. While her recent defeats have raised concerns, overcoming setbacks is nothing new for Faith Kipyegon.

The challenge that nearly stopped Faith Kipyegon before her historic comeback

Faith Kipyegon has spent much of her career proving that difficult moments do not define her. One of the toughest obstacles she faced was after her victory at the World Championships in 2017; she had to step away from her athletic career to become a mom. In June 2018, Kipyegon gave birth to her daughter Alyn by C-section due to complications with the baby’s position. The break kept her away for over a year; she was unable to compete and had to start all over again.

The journey home was long and arduous. Kipyegon has been candid about her weight gain during her pregnancy, losing all her fitness, and the constant fatigue while caring for a baby. Rather than rushing her return, Kipyegon slowly rebuilt her strength through gym sessions, walking, jogging, and gradual training. The hard work paid off almost immediately.

She went on to win her comeback race at the Prefontaine Classic in 2019 and then to take the silver in the World Championships in 2019. She then continued to rise to even more successes, winning two Olympic gold medals in Tokyo and Paris. It is that resilience that carries her on today.  Despite battling injury, Kipyegon remains focused on making history.

She still has her sights set on becoming the first woman ever to finish a mile in under four minutes. In 2025, she set a new Breaking4 record of 4:06.42, and that dream is not dead. “I will not lose hope, I will still go for it,” Kipyegon said, a reminder that even after all she has achieved, she is still chasing new boundaries.