Faith Kipyegon, Sifan Hassan ease into 1500m final
Kenya's Faith Kipyegon (left) wins ahead of Ethiopia's Freweyni Gebreezibeher (centre) and Canada's Gabriela Debues-Stafford in the women's 1500m semi-finals during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 4, 2021.
What you need to know:
- Ethiopia's Freweyni Gebreezibeher (3:57.54), Canada's Gabriella Debues-Stafford (3:58.28) wound second and third, while Australia's Jessica Hull and Japan's Nozomi clocked lifetime bests of 3:58.81 and 3:59.19 respectively to seal the automatic five qualification slots.
- Kenya's Winnie Chebet, who took a hard fall in the race, finished last in 4:11.62 and will be hoping to be re-instated into the final by the organisers.
In Tokyo
Faith Kipyegon eased into the final of the women's 1500m after winning the first semi-final in a commanding 3:56.80 at the Olympic Stadium here on Wednesday.
Kenya's Faith Kipyegon (second left) competes to win the women's 1500m semi-finals during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 4, 2021.
Ethiopia's Freweyni Gebreezibeher (3:57.54), Canada's Gabriella Debues-Stafford (3:58.28) wound second and third, while Australia's Jessica Hull and Japan's Nozomi clocked lifetime bests of 3:58.81 and 3:59.19 respectively to seal the five automatic qualification slots in the first semis.
Kenya's Faith Kipyegon (centre) competes to win the women's 1500m semi-final ahead of Ethiopia's Freweyni Gebreezibeher (R and Australia's Jessica Hull during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 4, 2021.
Kenya's Winnie Chebet, who took a hard fall in the race, finished last in 4:11.62 and will be hoping to be re-instated into the final by the organisers.
The other Kenyan, Edinah Jebitok (4:05.56) finished last in the second semi-final to miss out on the final.
Kenya's Faith Kipyegon (R) wins ahead of Ethiopia's Freweyni Gebreezibeher in the women's 1500m semi-finals during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 4, 2021.
The second semi-final was won by triple-chasing Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan, who clocked 4:00.23 with Britain's Laura Muir ( 4:00.73), Australia's Linden Hall (4:01.37), Uganda's Winnie Nanyondo ( 4:01.64) and Spain's Marta Perez (4:01.69) all sealing their places in Friday's final.
Netherlands' Sifan Hassan reacts after winning the women's 1500m semi-finals during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 4, 2021.
Kipyegon won the 2016 Olympics title in a hotly contested final that featured Muir, Hassan and Caster Semenya.
Netherlands' Sifan Hassan (centre) wins ahead of Britain's Laura Muir (R) in the women's 1500m semi-finals during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo on August 4, 2021.
Hassan would claim her revenge, winning the world title in Doha in 2019, with Kipyegon settling second.
