Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon cemented her place as the greatest middle distance runner of all time, storming to a 3rd world title to seal the gold medal in the women’s 1500m final in Budapest on Tuesday.
Kipyegon led from the start and took off in the last lap, stopping the clock at 3:54.87s, followed by Ethiopian world junior champion, Diribe Welteji (3:55.69s) and the Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan (3:56.00) in 2nd and 3rd.
The Kenyan mother of one has broken three world records this year in the 1500m, the metric mile and the 5000m, but had said she only cared about the title this time around.
She delivered with aplomb, running a controlled race to wrap up the win and secure Kenya’s 3rd medal in the competition so far.
It’s her 3rd successive global title, having won the Olympics in 2021, world champion in 2022 and now in 2023.
Gianmarco of Italy took his first world championship gold medal, ahead of Juvaughn Harrison of the USA, with three time champion, Mutaz Barshim forced to settle for silver.
Also on the field, Laulauga Tausaga-Collins won the women’s discus gold with a stunning Personal Best throw of 69.49m.
Back on the track, Morocco’s Soufiane Bakkali stole the headlines again, with his 2nd world championship gold medal in the 3000m steeplechase, condemning Ethiopia’s Lemecha Girma to a 3rd successive silver in the event.
The women’s 100m hurdles heats also took center stage on Day 4, with defending champion Tobi Amusan breezing into the semis, before clashing with journalists over questions regarding her provisional AIU suspension last month.
2019 champion Nia Ali, Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn and former record holder Kendra Harrison, all comfortably went through.
South Africa’s world record holder in the men’s 400m, Wayde Van Niekerk, scraped through to the men’s 400m finals, after finishing 3rd in his semi final and qualifying as one of the fastest losers.
But the Bahamas’ Steven Gardiner did not finish his race after falling on the track, moments into his semi final heat.