Faith Kipyegon gives Kenya first gold as Conseslus takes bronze in steeple

Two-time Olympic 1,500m. champion Faith Kipyegon gave Kenya the first gold medal in the women's 1,500 metres in the ongoing World Athletics Championships in Oregon.

Kipyegon clocked 3:52.96 to retain the title she won in Doha in 2019 as Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay took silver in 3:54.52. Great Britain’s Laura Muir settled for the bronze in 3:55.26.

Kipyegon’s mark is the 10th fastest time ever and is the 2nd fastest time run in the United States, after her time of 3:52.59 at the 2022 Prefontaine Meet.

Kipyegon won her 2nd gold medal, tying with 3 other runners – Hassiba Boulmerka (Algeria), Tatyana Tomashova (Russia), and Maryam Jamal (Bahrain), who have in the past posted similar achievements over the distance.

This was also Kipyegon’s fourth gold medal in the 1,500, with silvers in 2015 and 2019, and she becomes the first runner to win four medals in the event. Africa champion Winnie Chebet finished last in 4:15.13.

Meanwhile Kenya' dominance in the men' s steeplechase continued to suffer as Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali ran away with the gold medal in 8:25.23. El Bakkali, who is also the Olympic champion, was followed in the second place byEthiopian Lamech Girma, who took silver In 8:26.01 as two-time champion Consenslus Kipruto settled for bronze in 8:27.92.

Kenya had dominated the event for 11 years at the World event.