- Kipyegon is now a double world champion
- She won the 5,000m on top of the 1500m gold she earlier won
- She becomes the first woman to win both the 1500 and 5,000m in Worlds history
Triple world record holder Faith Kipyegon made World Championships history on Saturday night, becoming the first woman to ever win the 1500m and 5,000m gold medals at a single Championships.
Kipyegon added on to her 1500m world title won just days ago, clinching victory in the 5,000m, clocking 14:53.88, ahead of Netherlands’ Sifan Hassan Hassan who finished second in 14:54.11, as Beatrice Chebet took her place in third for bronze in 14:54.33.
“I’m chuffed. I thank God for the double. I didn’t expect to win the 5000m final. But then again, I had trained really hard knowing that I am going to make history. It was a good race with Sifan, but I knew I had the kick,” Kipyegon said after the race.
She adds; “This has been an incredible year and I think I have closed the season in style, but I still have the Diamond League to come so I’m hoping for the best and just close my season in a beautiful way.”
Kipyegon put up a devastating kick at the home stretch to wade off the challenge from Hassan, who was attempting herself some history with a chase in three titles; the 10,000m, 5,000m and 1500m.
She stumbled and fell a few metres to the finish in the 10,000m while she has now been beaten by Kipyegon in both the 1500m and the 5,000m.
You are incredible
Faith Kipyegon beats Sifan Hassan in the women’s 5,000m. PHOTO/World Athletics
“You are incredible. I am proud of you,” she told Kipyegon as the two athletes passed through the mixed zone in Budapest.
The two had been neck to neck in the last two laps after a pedestrian pace in most of the race. Kipyegon had decided to take matters into her own hands with around four laps to go, with no one interested in kicking up the hornets’ nest.
She was followed suit by compatriots Chebet and Margaret Chelimo, while with two laps to go, Sifan joined them upfront as she knew Faith’s kick was incredible.
At the bell, the Ducth lady tried to make a move but Kipyegon resisted and remained in the lead, injecting some pace of her own.
At the homestretch, it was now down to a battle between the two; Kipyegon and Sifan. But, it was the Kenyan who had the best sprint, as she powered home into gold, Sifan unsuccessfully trying to catch up with her.
Wanyonyi wins silver in the men’s 800m
Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi finishes behind Canada’s Marco Arop in the men’s 800m/ PHOTO/Athletics Weekly
Meanwhile earlier on, youngster Emmanuel Wanyonyi clinched silver in the men’s 800m with another brilliant run. Wanyonyi improved his fourth place from Budapest with silver, as he finished behind Canadian Marco Arop, who finally clinched a global gold.
Wanyonyi clocked 1:44.53 in second place, behind Arop who timed 1:44.24 for gold. Briton Ben Pattison concluded the medal haul with bronze in a time of 1:44.83.
Wanyonyi had led the race from the start and led at the bell, but the lanky Arop managed to eaiyt out his lead at the backstraight, before powering home with a good sprint. Wanyonyi, 19, would be proud of his silver, after putting up a gallant fight.
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