TOKYO (AP) — Faith Kipyegon pulled away from the pack for a win everyone expected and a fourth world championship at 1,500 meters Tuesday.
Kipyegon finished in 3 minutes, 52.15 seconds, nearly three seconds ahead of her Kenyan teammate Dorcus Ewoi but about three seconds behind the world record she set earlier this year.
Running in front throughout the near four-lap journey, Kipyegon coasted into the finish to join Hicham El Guerrouj as only the second runner to win four world titles in the metric
mile.
It puts an exclamation point on a season that began with her coming up short in a much-hyped quest to become the first woman to break the four-minute mile, but includes the world record and, now, this title.
In all, Kipyegon has four world and three Olympic titles at 1,500 meters, along with the 5,000 title at 2023 worlds and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
She'll be back on the track this week to defend her crown in the 5,000, which should be a fairer fight. It's expected to include Gudaf Tsegay and Beatrice Chebet, who both skipped the 1,500 to focus on the 10,000.
With those two gone, and with Ethiopia's Diribe Welteji missing the worlds due to a ban stemming from missed drug tests, Australia's Jessica Hull was the only other runner in the field with one of the year's top-five marks.
Hull hung around Kipyegon for 3 1/2 laps, but the late move belonged to the Kenyan, who more than doubled her 1.31-second lead over the last 200 meters and looked fresh as she crossed the line.
Perhaps the most telling sign of how Kipyegon dominates came after the race. With Ewoi and Hull writhing on the ground, Kipyegon jogged over, patted Ewoi on the chest, then bent to grab Hull by the arm and pull her up.
Hull took bronze to go with the silver she won in Paris last year. This is the first big-time medal of any color for Ewoi, a 28-year-old Kenyan who trains in the U.S.
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