New Delhi, July 2 -- Last Thursday Simta Sharma stayed up till 11.30pm, uncharacteristically glued to the television. Despite an early start the next morning, the Bengaluru-based 36-year-old software professional was not going to miss it. Martin Owens, head coach at Odisha Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre, who was in Europe traveling with his athletes that day, too was keeping a close eye on what was happening in Paris that evening. Breaking 4 was, after all, the biggest moonshot in the world of athletics this year where 34-year-old Faith Kipyegon, Kenya's triple Olympic gold medallist and world record holder in 1,500m and the mile (1,600m), was attempting to become the first woman to run a mile under 4 minutes.

Breaking4, Nik...