Budapest 2023 World Championships: Faith Kipyegon rules the 1500m, El Bakkali wins 3000m steeplechase gold
Budapest 2023 World Championships: Faith Kipyegon dominates the 1500m, while Morocco's Soufiane El Bakkali takes the 3000m steeplechase title.
Sport News Africa · Author profile ·
Listen to this story
Audio version in preparation · read aloud by your browser meanwhile
Faith Kipyegon confirmed her supremacy over 1500m. On Tuesday 22 August, in Budapest, the Kenyan won her third successive world gold medal over the distance. She simply outclassed the field. Launched like a rocket, Kipyegon led from start to finish, setting a blistering pace for her rivals. She crossed the line in 3:54.87, well clear of Ethiopia's Diribe Welteji (3:55.69) and the Netherlands' Sifan Hassan (3:56.00). "I wanted to run my own race," said the Kenyan legend. "We are all strong in a final. The ladies were very strong and I pushed this race to the limit. These days, over 1 500 m, if you want to win, you have to run 3 min 55 s or faster."
The double Olympic champion has not lost over this distance since the 2019 World Championships in Doha. The Kenyan has also taken world records this year in the 1 500 m (3:49.11 in Florence on 2 June), the 5 000 m (14:05.20 in Paris on 9 June) and the mile (roughly 1 616 m, 4:00.64 in Monaco on 21 July). She will be going for a double in Budapest, where she is also entered in the 5 000 m.
FAITH. KIPYEGON.
That's it, that's the caption.#WorldAthleticsChamps pic.twitter.com/j0wg3P3YEI
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 22, 2023
Bakkali retains his title
In the 3000m steeplechase, Morocco won its first medal of these Budapest World Championships. Soufiane El Bakkali took gold in 8 minutes and 3.53 seconds. After his Olympic gold, the Moroccan claimed his second world title. Bakkali beat the world record holder over the distance, Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma, who had to settle for second place (8:05.44). Kenya's Abraham Kibiwot completed the podium with a time of 8:11.98. The African continent thus collected six medals on Tuesday, two of them gold.
#Budapest2023 🇭🇺 - 🏃♂️ 3000M STEEPLE
🥇 Soufiane El Bakkali 🇲🇦 8:03.53
🥈 Lamecha Girma 🇪🇹 8:05.44
🥉 Abraham Kibiwot 🇰🇪 8:11.98 #Athlétisme #WorldAthleticsChampshttps://t.co/jGnrCkXK4X— MR.CARTER (@NelsonCarterJr) August 22, 2023