World Champs Women’s 1500 — Faith Front-Runs To Fourth Crown

Faith Kipyegon orchestrated the race like a conductor, from the front. (KEVIN MORRIS)

A BRUTAL PACE helped Kenya come within 0.09 of the first podium sweep of the 1500 in meet history. The architect of that pace, Faith Kipyegon, winner of 3 previous World golds (as well as 3 Olympic golds) made it 4 with a front-running tour de force.

Only two top contenders did not appear for the final. Laura Muir did not survive the first round. And Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji, formcharted for 4th, never made it to the track, stopped by an AIU appeal to CAS over the handling of a missed doping test.

In the final, Kipyegon took to the front and ran in complete control. She led through 400 in 64.07, with Jessica Hull, Nelly Chepchirchir, Sinclaire Johnson and Dorcus Ewoi closest in the chase.

That order remained the same through 800 in 2:07.28, with American Nikki Hiltz moving into 6th. That’s when Kipyegon started applying the real pressure. The next lap took her just 60.73. Hull stayed with her, as did the grand dame’s Kenyan teammates, Chepchirchir and Ewoi. Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu and Hiltz worked hard to try to bridge the widening gap.

On the final turn, Kipyegon started accelerating powerfully, and it became apparent that Hull would not be able to catch her. Instead, the Australian was being stalked by the other two Kenyans, and as she tried to survive until the line, they both sprinted for the podium.

Kipyegon won in 3:52.15, the second-fastest in meet history. Ewoi caught Hull in the final steps with a PR 3:54.92. Hull crossed in 3:55.16, just as Chepchirchir (3:55.25 PR) was about to catch her. Hiltz nabbed Hailu on the stretch, 3:57.08 – 3:57.33. Johnson faded on the last lap to 4:00.92 for 13th.

The winner covered her final 400 in 58.72 and her last two laps in 2:00.53. “Being able to defend my title and to win a fourth gold feels really special,” she said. “After setting the World Record in Eugene, I said to myself, ‘I have to go to Tokyo and defend my title.’ I knew I could run it under control.”

Kipyegon added, “I want to win two golds here in Tokyo. I am taking it one race at a time and the 1500m medal is now in the pocket. I will focus now on the 5000m and try to win it.”

Ewoi, the former Campbell runner who now trains with Puma Elite and is coached by Amy and Alistair Cragg, cut 4.33 from her PR for silver. “I put myself in the great position after the first lap and I tried to keep my eyes on Faith and Nelly,” she said. “I have no idea where I got my power from for the final sprint but when I realized the medal was so close I felt like I had wings.”

WOMEN’S 1500 RESULTS

FINAL (September 16)

1. Faith Kipyegon (Ken) 3:52.15

(64.07, 63.21 [2:07.28], 60.73 [3:08.01], 44.14) (14.98, 29.65, 58.72, 2:00.53);

2. Dorcus Ewoi (Ken) 3:54.92 PR

(64.61, 63.13 [2:07.74], 60.84 [3:08.58], 46.34) (15.64, 31.19, 61.10, 2:02.86);

3. Jessica Hull (Aus) 3:55.16

(64.25, 63.20 [2:07.45], 60.76 [3:08.21], 46.95) (16.68, 32.36, 61.54, 2:03.37);

4. Nelly Chepchirchir (Ken) 3:55.25 PR

(16.01, 31.94, 61.75, 2:03.42);

5. Nikki Hiltz (US) 3:57.08

(15.74, 31.94, 62.91, 2:04.82);

6. Freweyni Hailu (Eth) 3:57.33;

7. Klaudia Kazimierska (Pol) 3:57.95 PR;

8. Sarah Madeleine (Fra) 3:58.09 PR;

9. Marta Pérez (Spa) 3:58.54;

10. Sarah Healy (Ire) 3:59.14;

11. Gabriela DeBues-Stafford (Can) 3:59.65;

12. Salomé Afonso (Por) 4:00.47;

13. Sinclaire Johnson (US) 4:00.92

(16.73, 33.53, 66.24, 2:08.91);

14. Nele Weßel (Ger) 4:10.31.

HEATS (September 13)

I–1. Hull 4:04.40; 2. Johnson 4:04.59; 3. Gaia Sabbatini (Ita) 4:04.93; 4. Ewoi 4:04.99; 5. Pérez 4:05.14; 6. Weronika Lizakowska (Pol) 4:05.35; 7. Vera Sjöberg (Swe) 4:06.01; 8. Erin Wallace (GB) 4:06.07; 9. Saron Berhe (Eth) 4:07.06; 10. Nozomi Tanaka (Jpn) 4:07.34; 11. Amina Maatoug (Neth) 4:09.25; 12. Lilly Nägeli (Swi) 4:12.30; 13. Laura Nicholson (Ire) 4:14.12; 14. María Pía Fernández (Uru) 4:28.10.

II–1. Chepchirchir 4:07.01; 2. Kazimierska 4:07.34; 3. Afonso 4:07.44; 4. Linden Hall (Aus) 4:07.61; 5. Emily Mackay (US) 4:08.19; 6. Revee Walcott-Nolan (GB) 4:08.67; 7. Lucia Stafford (Can) 4:08.98; 8. Şilan Ayyıldız (Tur) 4:09.50; 9. Anne Gine Løvnes (Nor) 4:10.61; 10. Marissa Damink (Neth) 4:11.18; 11.. Pooja (Ind) 4:13.75; 12. Wilma Nielsen (Swe) 4:13.98; 13. Bahiya El Arfaoui (Mor) 4:17.17; 14. Lodkeo Inthakoumman (Lao) 4:45.13.

III–1. Hailu 4:01.23; 2. Hiltz 4:01.73; 3. Susan Ejore-Sanders (Ken) 4:01.99; 4. DeBues-Stafford 4:02.00; 5. Agathe Guillemot (Fra) 4:02.05; 6. Sophie O’Sullivan (Ire) 4:02.12; 7. Esther Guerrero (Spa) 4:02.20; 8. Joceline Wind (Swi) 4:04.29; 9. Sarah Billings (Aus) 4:06.22; 10. Jolanda Kallabis (Ger) 4:08.71; 11. Knight Aciru (Uga) 4:09.79; 12. Ludovica Cavalli (Ita) 4:09.91; 13. Adelle Tracey (Jam) 4:11.87; 14. Tomoka Kimura (Jpn) 4:15.70.

IV–1. Kipyegon 4:02.55; 2. Madeleine 4:02.66; 3. Healy 4:02.67; 4. Marta Zenoni (Ita) 4:02.77; 5. Gabija Galvydytė (Lit) 4:02.81; 6. Weßel 4:03.57 PR; 7. Agueda Marques (Spa) 4:04.13; 8. Laura Muir (GB) 4:05.59; 9. Vera Bertemes-Hoffmann (Lux) 4:06.11; 10. Kate Current (Can) 4:07.52; 11. Sofia Thøgersen (Den) 4:08.48; 12. Micaela Levaggi (Arg) 4:09.76 NR; 13. Mia Barnett (Swe) 4:16.71; 14. Greza Bakraqi (KOS) 4:22.06; 15. Ingeborg Østgård (Nor) 4:27.56.

SEMIS (September 14)

I–1. Kipyegon 4:00.34; 2. Ewoi 4:00.65; 3. Hailu 4:01.03; 4. Johnson 4:01.08; 5. Pérez 4:01.19; 6. Madeleine 4:01.30; 7. Hall 4:01.65; 8. Galvydytė 4:01.79; 9. Lizakowska 4:03.39; 10. Mackay 4:12.80; 11. Sabbatini 4:12.93; 12. O’Sullivan 4:18.18.

II–1. Chepchirchir 4:06.86; 2. Hull 4:06.87; 3. Hiltz 4:07.04; 4. Kazimierska 4:07.83; 5. DeBues-Stafford 4:08.29; 6. Healy 4:08.78; 7. Ejore-Sanders 4:09.28; 8. Walcott-Nolan 4:11.07; 9. Guillemot 4:11.33; 10. Afonso 4:15.08; 11. Weßel 4:18.21;… dq—Zenoni.

Jeff Hollobaugh is a writer and stat geek who has been associated with T&FN in various capacities since 1987. He is the author of How To Race The Mile. He lives in Michigan where he can often be found announcing track meets in bad weather.

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