Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon clinched her third gold in the 1,500m at the Budapest World Championships, while Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi also made a notable performance. Kipyegon, the current top runner, continues her remarkable run in 2023, adding to her impressive accolades.
“I was chasing history today, and I succeeded,” she exclaimed, holding the unique distinction of three world titles in the 1,500m.
Following her golds in the 2017 and 2022 World Championships, along with silvers in 2015 and 2019, plus two Olympic titles in 2016 and 2021, Kipyegon has further enriched her achievements. This year, she secured world records in the 1,500m (3:49.11 in Florence on June 2), 5,000m (14:05.20 in Paris on June 9), and approximately a mile (4:07.64 in Monaco on July 21).
Maintaining a controlled pace and gradually accelerating, she surged ahead on the final lap, finishing in 3 minutes 54.87 seconds. She comfortably outpaced Ethiopian runner-up Diribe Welteji, demonstrating her remarkable form at only 21 years old.
Kipyegon’s journey includes putting her career on hold to give birth in 2018 and then making a triumphant return to competition. Her resilience serves as an inspiration to women post-maternity leave.
Though there was no direct competition with Dutch rival Sifan Hassan, who contended for bronze after a tough 10,000m race, both champions will meet again in the 5,000m event, where Kipyegon is expected to be the strong favorite. The heats were rescheduled due to the intense weather conditions in Budapest, a sweltering 35 degrees.
