Athletics-Brilliant Kipyegon storms to emphatic 1,500m gold

Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon stamped her authority on the women’s 1,500m final almost from the start on Monday and drove on relentlessly to take her second world gold in a startling three minutes, 52.96 seconds.

Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay and Briton Laura Muir, who matched Kipyegon stride for lung-busting stride until the last 300m, took silver and bronze. Kipyegon, winner of the last two Olympic 1,500m titles, the 2017 world title and who picked up a world silver in 2019 a year after having a baby, came to Eugene on the back of posting the year’s fastest time on the same Hayward Field track in May.

She almost matched it on Monday as any thoughts of the sort of tactical race often seen in finals disappeared on the back of a 55.1 second opening lap. The leaders went through 800m in 2.03 minutes, with the rest of the field flailing distantly in their wake. They stayed locked together through the bell but the Kenyan began to create daylight on the back straight and powered clear.

Tsegay, second in the world this year, finished in 3:54.52 while Tokyo silver medallist Muir clocked 3:55.28.

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