Faith Kipyegon wins Kenya's first Gold in Budapest

@Erick Barasa

ATHLETICS Faith Kipyegon wins Kenya's first Gold in Budapest

Mark Kinyanjui 22:45 - 22.08.2023

She led the race from gun to tape, leaving no doubt as to who was the boss!

World Record holder Faith Kipyegon obliterated the 1500m field to win gold at the ongoing Athletics World Championships in Budapest Hungary on Tuesday night.

The multiple world champion added another feather to her glittering diadem as she claimed gold in 3: 554.87 ahead of a world class field of twelve women drawn from four continents. Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia was second in 3:55.69. With Dutch star Sifan Hassan third in 3:56.00

The other Kenyan in the race Nelly Chepchirchir battled hard but lost engine power in the dying seconds and settled for 5th place finish in 3:57.90.

Kipyegon played pied-piper of the race in her usual style, leading from the start of the race to the finish to make it the third time she has won the world title.

The world-record holder and two-time Olympic champion crossed the finish line at a time of 3:54:87, to round off what has been a very brilliant season for her.

Hassan missed out on a medal in dramatic circumstances by falling near the end of the 10,000m, but the Dutch runner made ammends as she managed to get on the podium this time by taking the bronze.

While Kipyegon led from start to finish, Hassan had opted to deploy a run-behind-the pack-and-then-break-away-in-the-end tactic.

Ireland's Ciara Mageean missed out on a medal as she came fourth, while British trio Laura Muir, Katie Snowden and Melissa Courtney-Bryant finished sixth, eighth and 12th respectively.

Kipyegon will now shift her attention to the 5000 metres final taking place later this week, as she seeks to take home a second gold medal in the event where she broke the world-record in just her third ever appearance in the category in July.

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