DPA
Paris
Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon cemented her 1,500 metres dominance with a third Olympic gold while Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen overcame his debacle over that distance with 5,000m gold on Saturday at the Paris Games.
In a frantic final session at the Stade de France, there was more joy for Kenya when Emmanuel Wanyonyi stormed to 800m gold after a pep talk from world record holder David Rudisha, Haruka Kitaguchi added Olympic javelin gold to her world title, and world indoor champion Hamish Kerr gave New Zealand a first high jump gold.
The US bagged 100m hurdles gold from Masai Russell and dominated both concluding 4x400m relays, with the women now unbeaten at eight Games. The US are far ahead in the athletics medal table ahead of Sunday’s women’s marathon with 34 medals, 14 of them gold.
Earlier Saturday, Ethiopian former world champion Tamirat Tola claimed an impressive men’s marathon gold while Kenyan great Eliud Kipchoge missed a historic third straight gold and retired after fading to last in the field.
Another Kipyegon masterclass Kipyegon has dominated the 1,500m with three world titles, holds the world record, and on Saturday became the first woman to win an individual track race three times.
Unbeaten over the distance since 2021 and few days after having to settle for 5,000m silver, Kipyegon left all rivals in her wake down the home straight for gold in 3 minutes 51.29 seconds.
Australia Jessica Hall earned silver 3:52.56 and Georgia Bell ran a British record 3:52.61 for bronze.
“This is history. I managed to make history. I’ve done it,” Kipyegon said.
“It’s a big, big achievement. I was really looking forward to defending my title.”
She admitted that the 5,000m drama where she was beaten by team-mate Beatrice Chebet, then disqualified but later reinstated “shook my mentality.
“I didn’t know I would come out strong today, after what I went through over the 5,000m, it really took a lot of energy in me. But coming out today and just execute and run my race was just what I wanted.”
Ingebrigtsen delivers
Ingebrigtsen had dramatically failed to get back-to-back 1,500m golds in a fourth place finish by going out too hard but had no such problems in the 5,000m which took place at a more pedestrian pace.
Twice world champion over the distance, Ingebrigtsen stormed away from all rivals in the last turn for an emphatic victory in 13:13.66 minutes ahead of Kenya’s Ronald Kwemoi and American Grant Fisher, who earned bronze as in the 10,000m.
Ethiopia’s runners looked strong until the final lap and failed to medal at all, with Hagos Gebrhiwet their best in fifth.
“Just an amazing feeling. The contrast in sports is unique. When you succeed, and sometimes you have a bad experience. It’s amazing to have this,” Ingebrigtsen said.
Wanyonyi gets
800m revenge
Wanyonyi avenged his 800m world championship defeat against Marco Arop when he held off the Canadian by one-hundredth of a second in 1:41.19 minutes which put him third on the all-time list and just .28 outside Rudisha’s world record from London 2012.
Previous season leader Djamel Sedjati of Algeria took bronze in a race with four runners dipping below 1:42 minutes.
“Rudisha told me yesterday, ‘You need to run your race, to run from the start to the finish in front,’” Wanyonyi said.
“Nobody can beat me twice,” he insisted. “I needed to run very fast, that’s why I led from the start to the finishing line.”
The women’s 100m hurdles also saw a dramatic finish when season leader Russell got gold in 12.33 seconds, one-hundredths ahead of French Cyrena Samba-Mayela, and three-hundredths clear of Tokyo 2020 gold medallist Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico.
US relay joy The double relay golds were sweet for the US and allowed 400m hurdlers Rai Benjamin and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone as well as 200m winner Gabby Thomas to get a second gold.
Dutch women’s anchor Femke Bol shook off her bronze medal hurdles disappointment with silver which completed a full medal set after mixed relay gold.
