Kenyan charges to her third successive Olympic crown, while Jessica Hull takes silver and Georgia Bell's rapid rise continues as she smashes British mark for bronze

Faith Kipyegon cemented her status as the world greatest female 1500m runner in history – if not the best ever on both the women’s and men’s side – as she dismantled the Games record to win her third successive Olympic gold medal over the distance.

With a searing finish, the Kenyan flew to a time of 3:51.29, with the ever-improving Australian Jessica Hull winning silver in 3:52.56. There was also a quite brilliant run from Georgia Bell, who removed almost four seconds from her PB and broke Laura Muir’s British record to take bronze in 3:52.61.

Muir, the 2021 Olympic silver medallist, lowered her PB with 3:53.37 to come home just behind Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji, who was fourth and also ran her quickest ever time, 3:52.75.

No athlete in history has ever won three Olympic 1500m gold medals but Kipyegon was imperious as she strode away from the chasing pack in the latter stages.

It was a particularly satisfying win for the four-time world champion, who was disqualified in the 5000m and then reinstated in second place after tangling with Gudaf Tsegay. The Ethiopian, who had set the early 1500m pace, finished last.

"After what I went through over the 5000m, it really took a lot of energy in me," said Kipyegon. "It shook my mentality, I was thinking the whole night what happened, but coming out today and just executing and running my race was just what I wanted."

Hull has turned herself in to a serious contender on the world stage and set the 2000m world record in the run-up to these Games, while Bell’s is a truly remarkable story.

The former duathlete only returned to athletics last summer but, under the guidance of coaches Trevor Painter and Jenny Meadows – mentors to Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson – she has gone from strength to strength. Bell was born in Paris before moving to the UK and the French capital will now have a special place in her heart for a very different reason.

Bell is currently on a sabbatical from her job in cyber security and she has been unstoppable in the 1500m, kicking off the year as the British 1500m Indoor champion and finishing fourth at the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow.

She then set a personal best of 3:56.54 at the Paris Diamond League in July, having also won the British title. Now she is an Olympic medallist.

"On the start line I really had the feeling that if I just stuck in there I'd be able to do something special, so I'm over the moon to get a medal.

"It was painful. I saw the first lap go through in 60, 61 seconds. I had thought it would go like that. I just thought: 'Don't let the gap open up', and I hoped I'd be able to finish strong. That's what I was really trying to do, just dig deep. I only realised how fast it was when I crossed the line."

Tsegay had in fact led the field through the opening lap in 59.23 before Kipyegon began moving up from fourth to second around the 800m mark that was reached in 2:03.27.

Kipyegon was in front at the bell, with Tsegay falling back and Hull and Welteji in closest order. Muir was also scorching her way up the field but Bell had positioned herself better for the closing charge that would take her to a medal.

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