Fans Furious After Reporter Asks Faith Kipyegon Most Absurd Question After World Record Run
Faith Kipyegon had just done the impossible—again. On a cool evening at Hayward Field during the Prefontaine Classic, the Kenyan middle-distance legend had torn through the women’s 1500m in 3:48.68, shaving fractions off her own world record and rewriting history. It was a moment of triumph, one that should have been met with reverence and admiration.
Instead it was punctuated by a question that stopped everyone in their tracks—not because it was clever, but because it was so mind-bogglingly stupid.
“Hey Faith,” a reporter began in the mixed zone. “You’re 5’2”. Could any man the same height beat you in a mile?”
For a moment the post-race buzz just stopped. Kipyegon, the Olympic and world champion, could only respond with a confused “Sorry?” before a media official stepped in to change the subject. The question spread like wildfire on social media.
The backlash was immediate and brutal.
“This caused me real-life physical pain. What on earth!” Andrew LeMay
“Cancel accreditation of the questioner, effective immediately” Peter Foot
“Very shallow mentality. Respect our athletes” Kimani Kariuki
“What kind of answer are you even hoping for from a question like this?” Nial McGlone
And then there was Alice who summed it up perfectly:
“I think women athletes should be entitled to one (1) tarring and feathering of their choice per season.”
The absurdity of the question was in stark contrast to Kipyegon’s brilliance on the track. This wasn’t a developing prospect facing her first big race; this was a woman who had just minutes earlier reaffirmed her status as the greatest middle-distance runner the world has ever seen.
The question seemed to stem from her recent attempt to become the first woman to run a sub-4 minute mile at a Nike event in Paris on June 26. Though she didn’t succeed—4:06.42—Kipyegon was undeterred.
“It’s only a matter of time,” she said post-race. “If it’s not me, it will be someone else. One day, one time, a woman will run under 4:00.”She’s not just confident, she’s self-assured. And with the World Championships on the horizon in September, Kipyegon looks like she’s going to win a fourth world title. And while silly media moments might get in the way, they can’t diminish the legacy of a woman who’s redefining what’s possible.
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Fans Furious After Reporter Asks Faith Kipyegon Most Absurd Question After World Record Run