Kipyegon prioritises recovery over comeback, pulls out of ultimate championships

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Triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon has confirmed she will miss the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest next month, revealing her hamstring injury needs longer to heal than she had hoped.

In a statement issued Wednesday, August 19, the Kenyan middle-distance star said the injury has troubled her since the end of May. “Since the end of May, I have been dealing with a hamstring injury, and unfortunately it needs a bit longer to recover than I had hoped. I know that taking care of it now is the most important thing I can do to come back at my best. So for now, I will take the time to heal, recover and get stronger,” she said.

The announcement rules Kipyegon out of the inaugural Ultimate Championship, which runs in Budapest from September 11 to 13, as well as the remaining Diamond League meetings this season, including Silesia this weekend and the Brussels final on September 4 and 5. Her agent has confirmed she will not race again in 2026.

Kipyegon, 32, first disclosed the injury in July after a rare defeat at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, where she finished third in the mile. She later raced through the issue at the Monaco Diamond League, finishing fourth in the 3,000m in a time of 8:24.21. She has raced only three times this season, with her last appearance on July 10.

The three-time Olympic 1,500m champion, who won gold at Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, holds the world records in both the 1,500m and the mile. Her decision to end her season early marks a rare setback after several dominant years on the track.

“I’ll be back,” Kipyegon said, signing off her statement.

Reporting originally appeared via KBC Digital. Read the full source for additional context.