Faith Kipyegon Defends Gold in Women's 1,500 Meters With Olympic Record-Setting Run

Kenya's Faith Kipyegon successfully defended her gold medal in the women's 1,500 meters at the Tokyo Olympics with an Olympic record time of 3:53.11. With the victory, she becomes the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals since the Soviet Union's Tatyana Kazankina in 1976 and 1980.

Kipyegon won gold in 2016 and then gave birth to her first daughter in 2018. She returned to the global stage with a silver medal at the 2019 world championships and ran the fourth-fastest time in history with a 3:51.07 personal best at the Monaco Diamond League in July to head into Tokyo as the favorite.

"Once I crossed the finish line, it was a very emotional moment for me," Kipyegon said. "I thought about my daughter who I left behind at home. She wanted me to bring home a gold medal, and I am so happy and excited I did that."

Dutch star Sifan Hassan, who stunned many by falling in the first round of the 1,500 meters and then getting back up and winning her respective heat, just 12 hours after winning gold in the 5,000 meters, tried to pull away in the final lap but Kipyegon managed to pass her on the backstretch. Great Britain's Laura Muir also made the pass and ended up with her first global championship medal with a silver in a British record of 3:54.50. Hassan took bronze in 3:55.86.

Kipyegon's win put an end to Hassan's attempt to become the first person in history to win Olympic gold in the 1,500 meters, 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. Hassan will have to come back to compete in the 10,000 meters Saturday.

"I am happy with how it all goes but I feel stressed every day," Hassan said. "There is nothing else to do but to focus on Saturday's race. I am focusing on that already. I have to...The body is very tired. I need it for tomorrow."

For Muir, this was the best moment of her career after years of near-misses for the podium. After finishing seventh at the Rio Olympics in the 1,500 meters, she went on to run a personal best and national record of 3:55.22 at the Paris Diamond League just 11 days later. She was fourth in the event at the 2017 world championships and then fifth in 2019. 

“Since Rio, it’s been five years of wanting this medal and missing every single time just by a little bit...And finally to come away with this medal is great."

Elle Purrier St. Pierre, who won the U.S. Olympic Trials, was the top American in 11th place in 4:01.75. Her compatriot Cory McGee was 12th in 4:05.50.

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