Loaded women’s 1,500m ends in thrilling blanket-finish at worlds
The IAAF World Championships women's 1,500m ended in superb fashion as the first five athletes were separated by less than a second
The 2017 IAAF World Championships featured arguably the greatest women’s 1,500m field in history.
The battle of the heavyweights – including the Olympic champion, Commonwealth Games champion, world champion, world record holder, European champion and world indoor champion – came down to the final 600m lap, as it often does, after a slow early pace. And who would have guessed it was the world record holder who finished in last?
After the pace lagged through the first 900m, two runners, Sifan Hassan and Faith Kipyegon, the 2016 Olympic champion, took off and dueled it out over much of the final lap and were clear with 200m to go. Britain’s Laura Muir, a crowd favourite, was in the bronze medal position with 100m to go. American Jenny Simpson and South Africa’s Caster Semenya, the 2016 Olympic 800m champion, closed hard and passed both Hassan and Muir.
It was a blanket finish behind Kipyegon as first through fifth were separated by less than a second. The Kenyan won in 4:02.59 with Simpson in second in 4:02.76. Semenya, who ended up on the track after the race because of her finish line lean, rounded out the top-three in 4:02.90, just 0.07 seconds ahead of Muir, who had to settle for fourth. The last 400m was run in well under 60 seconds.
What an ending to the women's 1500m.
? Faith Kipyegon 4:02.59
? Jenny Simpson 4:02.76
? Caster Semenya 4:02.90#London2017 pic.twitter.com/gaDUzefUSf— Canadian Running (@CanadianRunning) August 7, 2017
Kipyegon adds the world 1,500m title to her Olympic gold medal and Commonwealth Games title. Meanwhile, Simpson, one of the most consistent middle-distance runners of the current era, adds another silver to her collection after placing second at the 2013 World Championships. She was the outdoor world champion over 1,500m in 2011 in South Korea.
Semenya, an 800m specialist, adds her first-career medal at a senior outdoor global championships over 1,500m. She’s a two-time world outdoor champion in the 800m and the defending Olympic champion in the two-lap event. She will go up against Melissa Bishop in the women’s 800m, which begins on Aug. 10.
At the back of the pack was Genzebe Dibaba, the event’s world record holder, who ran 4:06.72 and was never really in the hunt for a medal.
Video
What an incredible race, one of the highlights of the #IAAFworlds so far. Kipyegon wins the 1500 ahead of Simpson and Semenya. Enjoy! pic.twitter.com/Zdlr5JAmlP
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 7, 2017
There were three Canadians – Nicole Sifuentes, Gabriela Stafford and Sheila Reid – who ran in earlier rounds of the women’s 1,500m. None qualified for Monday evening’s final.
Is #TheMoment coming?@lauramuiruns finishes fourth in the 1500m, will she medal @berlin_2018?
Tickets ?https://t.co/jnrqjBWHs3 pic.twitter.com/B4bKHa2Rqn
— European Athletics (@EuroAthletics) August 7, 2017
Results
| 1 | 4082 | Faith Chepngetich KIPYEGON |  KEN |
4:02.59 |
| 2 | 4370 | Jennifer SIMPSON |  USA |
4:02.76 |
| 3 | 4209 | Caster SEMENYA |  RSA |
4:02.90 |
| 4 | 3900 | Laura MUIR |  GBR |
4:02.97 |
| 5 | 4127 | Sifan HASSAN |  NED |
4:03.34 |
| 6 | 3920 | Laura WEIGHTMAN | GBR |
4:04.11 |
| 7 | 4166 | Angelika CICHOCKA |  POL |
4:04.16 |
| 8 | 4108 | Rababe ARAFI |  MAR |
4:04.35 |
| 9 | 4241 | Meraf BAHTA |  SWE |
4:04.76 |
| 10 | 4107 | Malika AKKAOUI | MAR |
4:05.87 |
| 11 | 3939 | Hanna KLEIN |  GER |
4:06.22 |
| 12 | 3841 | Genzebe DIBABA |  ETH |
4:06.72 |
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