Faith Kipyegon will step onto the track at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 as the overwhelming favourite in the women’s 1500m, despite running just three official races this season. With her record-breaking form and unmatched dominance, the 31-year-old is poised to extend her historic reign.
Kipyegon opened her campaign in April at the Xiamen Diamond League, clocking 2:29.21 in the 1000m, the third-fastest time in history. She later shattered barriers again with a world-best mile of 4:06.42 in an exhibition race and then lowered her own 1500m world record to 3:48.68 at the Eugene Diamond League. Even in her attempt at the 3000m record in Silesia, she narrowly missed the mark but still recorded one of the fastest times ever, becoming the only woman within five seconds of Wang Junxia’s 1993 world record.
“It is all about Tokyo now,” said Kipyegon after her Silesia performance as quoted by World Athletics News.
Already a three-time Olympic champion and three-time world champion in the 1500m, Kipyegon has remained unbeaten in the event for four years. Victory in Tokyo would put her alongside Moroccan legend Hicham El Guerrouj as the only athlete with four world titles over the distance.
The Challengers
Her biggest rival, Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay, the second-fastest woman in history at 3:50.62, will not contest the 1500m, opting instead for the 5000m and 10,000m. Kipyegon’s compatriot Beatrice Chebet, also high on the season’s rankings, has made the same decision. Both are expected to clash with Kipyegon later in the 5000m final.
That leaves Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji as the main challenger in Tokyo. The 22-year-old, who won silver at the last World Championships, pushed Kipyegon to her record-breaking run in Eugene, clocking a personal best of 3:51.44, the eighth-fastest in history.
Australia’s Jessica Hull, an Olympic silver medallist and third on the all-time list, will also be a key contender. She lost narrowly to Kenya’s rising star Nelly Chepchirchir at the Zurich Diamond League final. Chepchirchir has had a stunning season with victories in Doha, Rabat, Paris, and Monaco, marking her as a serious medal threat.
The US challenge is spearheaded by Nikki Hiltz, the national champion who posted a season’s best of 3:55.94 in Brussels. Meanwhile, Britain’s Laura Muir, a consistent finalist with top-six finishes at the past five World Championships, will be hoping to finally break onto the podium. Her teammate Georgia Hunter Bell, this year’s sixth-fastest in the world, will instead target the 800m.
Road to the Final
The women’s 1500m heats begin on Saturday, 13 September, followed by the semifinals on 14 September, with the eagerly awaited final set for 16 September.
With rivals stepping aside, up-and-coming stars gaining momentum, and history beckoning, all eyes are on Faith Kipyegon. If she delivers once more, she will not just defend her title but cement her status as the greatest 1500m runner in history.
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