Kenya's Kipyegon claims second 1500m world title
Faith Kipyegon of Team Kenya reacts after competing in the Women's 1500m Final on day four of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 18, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. PHOTO/AFP
What you need to know:
- Meanwhile, Olympic champion Soufiane El-Bakkali of Morocco produced a tactical masterclass to end Kenya's 15-year reign in the 3000m steeplechase at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon.
Two-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya won her second 1500m title at the World Athletics Championship on Monday.
Kipyegon, who previously won world gold over the distance in 2017 along with two silvers, dominated the race from start to finish, clocking a winning time of 3min 52.96sec.
Faith Kipyegon of Team Kenya reacts after competing in the Women's 1500m Final on day four of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 18, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. PHOTO/AFP
Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia claimed silver in 3:54.52, with Britain's Laura Muir taking bronze (3:55.28).
El-Bakkali ends Kenya reign with steeplechase gold
Olympic champion Soufiane El-Bakkali of Morocco produced a tactical masterclass to end Kenya's 15-year reign in the 3000m steeplechase at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon on Monday.
El-Bakkali took his time before surging into the lead with just under 200m to go at Eugene's Hayward Field, with a lethal late kick after the final water jump powering him to gold in a time of 8min 25.13sec.
Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma –- silver medallist behind El-Bakkali at last year's Tokyo Olympics –- was second in 8:26.01.
Kenya's reigning world champion Conseslus Kipruto took bronze in 8:27.92.
Soufiane El Bakkali of Team Morocco celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the gold medal in the Men's 3000m Steeplechase Final on day four of the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 at Hayward Field on July 18, 2022 in Eugene, Oregon. PHOTO/AFP
El-Bakkali's masterpiece was almost a carbon copy of last year's Olympic final, when the Moroccan again conjured a devastating late kick in the final 200m to surge to gold.
El-Bakkali's victory brought an end to Kenya's 15-year dominance of the steeplechase at the world championships.
Kenyan runners had won gold in the event in every edition of the championships since Brimin Kipruto's gold in Osaka in 2007.
It was a happy return to Eugene for El-Bakkali, who got his first taste of international competition at Hayward Field in 2014 when he competed in the World Under-20 Championships.
"That was my first international experience. I return eight years later as a champion," El-Bakkali said.
"The course was very tactical, slow," he added. "I positioned well in the last lap. I am very strong in the 400m and it worked out for me."
