Oregon 2022: Faith Kipyegon sails into 1500m semis
Faith Kipyegon’s quest of recapturing the women’s 1500m is well on course after she won her Heat in 4:04.53.
The double Olympic champion lost her title to Sifan Hassan in Doha and she made her intentions clear as she took control of the race in the final two laps.
Japanese Nozomoi Tanaka as usual started fast from the front, leading in the first 800m before the double Olympic champion decided to take matters into her own hands.
In the last 300m Australian Jessica Hull tried coming from the inside to probably steal the race from Kipyegon but the experienced Kenyan just watched over her shoulder and jogged home perhaps reminding the rest of the world that she is still at her best. Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu finished third.
In another Heat, African champion Winnie Chebet had to work hard to finish second and she joins Kipyegon in the semis. Chebet moved from fifth to second after running on the outside in the final 50 metres to secure a ticket to Sunday’s semi-final.
Chebet clocked season’s best time of 4:03.12, finishing second behind Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay who literally jogged home to win in 4:02.68.
Two other Kenyans, Judith Kiyeng and Edinah Jebitok both finished ninth in their Heats thereby not making it to the Semis.
