Kipyegon on course for fourth world title after Jepchirchir strikes Kenya’s second gold in Tokyo
Faith Kipyegon’s bid for a record fourth 1500m world title remains on course after she easily won in the semi-finals of the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo on Sunday.
The three-time Olympic champion has three world titles already and she will be making even more history if she races to victory on Sunday.
She will definitely be the women to beat in the final on Tuesday even though she will have to face stiff competition from her country woman Nelly Chepchirchir, who has been in top form this season.
On Sunday in the semi-finals, Kipyegon showed she was not taking anything lightly despite the fact that she is the hot favourite to win at the stadium where she won her second Olympic gold in 2021.
She coasted to victory in the first semi-finals in 4:00.34 despite the fact that she slowed down in the last 50m to usher in her teammate Dorcus Ewoi who came in second in 4:00.65 to book a slot in her first global final.
Chepchirchir on the other hand controlled the second semi-final to win it ahead of Australia’s Jessica Hall.
The Kenyan clocked 4:06.86 in a race that she also jogged across the line in a race that had less drama as compared to the first semi-final where Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu took a tumble while she was leading the race ad almost took everyone down with her.
She was able to pick herself up though and book a place in the semis, but that was not the case for Kenya’s Susan Ejore who failed to finish in the top six places to book a place in the semis.
Ejore was however racing in the second semi which was won by Chepchirchir.
Despite not having all four athletes in the final, it was still a good day for Kenya considering that the last time in Budapest in 2023, it was only Kipyegon who was in the final.
Tokyo is already promising for Kenya with 2020 Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir winning the country’s second gold medal in the early hours on Sunday.
Many Kenyans were still asleep when Jepchirchir outsprinted the pre-race favourite Tigst Assefa to win the women marathon gold. The race started at 1.30am East African time.
Going into the race, many were expecting the Ethiopian to upgrade from her silver medal from Paris in 2024, a race where Jepchirchir did not have a good outing.
Jepchirchir had not raced anywhere after the disappointment at the Paris Olympics and she was not tipped to be anywhere near the podium in Tokyo at the World Championships.
Japan however was kind to Jepchirchir once again as he ruled the streets like she did at the delayed 2020 Olympics which were held in Tokyo in 2021.
The Olympic marathon was however held in Sapporo as compared to the World Championships marathon which was held in Tokyo on Sunday, but that did not matter for Jepchirchir who clocked 2:24:43, two seconds faster than Assefa.