Kenyan great strides to a quartet of world 1500m titles with another show of dominance.

Never in doubt. While one of the recurring themes of the world championships in Tokyo has been shock results, it didn’t apply to the women’s 1500m final on Tuesday night (September 16).

When Faith Kipyegon stands on the start line of a metric mile race, there is usually only one outcome – and so it was again as she toyed with her opposition and then left them for dead with a show of control and, latterly, speed. 

The world record of 3:48.68 she set earlier this year did not come under any threat in Japan but the Kenyan was in total control, winning the fourth world 1500m title of a career that only grows in stature with every passing year. 

She hit the line in 3:52.15 at the national stadium while, behind her, there was an incredibly tight battle for the other podium spots that was won by her team-mate Dorcus Ewoi, whose PB of 3:54.92 took her to silver just ahead of Australia’s Jess Hull (3:55.16). Nelly Jepchirchir almost made it a Kenyan clean sweep of the medals, but her PB of 3:55.25 came up painfully short. US champion Nikki Hiltz was fifth with 3:57.08.

Kipyegon led from start to finish, but the pace wasn’t searing in the earlier stages as she went through 400m in 63.96 and 800m in 2:07.27, tracked every step of the way by Hull and Jepchirchir. The only hint of a threat to her dominance arrived at the bell, when Jepchirchir surged and briefly moved into second place. Hull rapidly covered the move and Kipyegon raised the pace. 

The three-time Olympic champion over the distance made her crucial gear change entering the final bend and, though Hull tried to stay in touch, the gap between first and second only grew while Jepchirchir and Ewoi closed in on the Australian, who clung on to bronze as she practically fell over the finish line.

Kipyegon is now just the second woman to win four world titles in the same track event (Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has five in the 100m) and will turn her attention to the 5000m in Tokyo. 

"Being able to defend my title and to win a fourth gold feels really special,” she said. “I knew I could run it under control. This sport drives me. I need to push myself in order to be the best.

"I won here in 2021 [at the Olympics] just after becoming a mother, so being back here, winning again, means I can show a new gold medal to my daughter. I want to win two golds here in Tokyo.”

She added: "This event is not easy to win every time, to win every year and break records. It is a matter of dedication, hard work and being passionate. I am so grateful I am doing this every year. This was my dream – to keep making history.”

In the qualifying heats of the men’s 800m, US champion Donavan Brazier qualified fastest for the semi-finals by winning the final race in 1:44.66, while Great Britain’s Max Burgin was second-fastest with his run of 1:44.73 as nine athletes broke the 1:45 barrier. Kenya’s Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi safely progressed with 1:45.05, as did defending champion Marco Arop (1:45.39) and Olympic bronze medallist Djamel Sedjati (1:45.01).

The 2023 world bronze medallist Ben Pattison was another qualifier in 1:46.51, while his fellow Briton, Tiaran Crorken ran 1:45.63 but didn’t progress on his world championships debut after coming fifth in his heat. Another new face – US teenager Cooper Lutkenhaus – also saw his competition come to an abrupt end after his run of 1:47.68.