Kenyan team longing to win 1500m crowns

Timothy Cheruiyot, of Kenya, competes in the final of the men's 1,500-meters at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Tokyo. AP Photo

World champions Timothy Cheruiyot and Faith Chepng’etich Kipyegon will lead the hunt for 1,500m jewels at the World Championships in Oregon, USA, starting tomorrow.

Kipyegon, 27, looks ready to recapture her world 1,500m title from Dutch’s Sifan Hassan she won at the 2019 World Championships in Doha, Qatar.

She appeared peerless in the heats yesterday morning and semi finals, controlling the the race from start to finish and will join forces with African champion Winnie Chebet, who sailed into the finals as the fastest loser.

It will take something very special to stop her. But as good as she is on the circuit, Kipyegon always saves her best for championships, and in Tokyo last year she retained her Olympic title.

Kipyegon posted a sizzling 3:51.07 in Monaco, the fourth fastest time in history. She will face Ethiopia’s world indoor record holder Gudaf Tsegay and Britain’s Olympic silver medalist Laura Muir in the finals tomorrow at 5:20am.

In the men’s front, Cheruiyot will lead 2016 world under 20 champion Kumari Taki and Abel Kipsang, fourth at the Tokyo Olympic Games. They must be at their best to stop Norway’s Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

They were lined up for semi finals this morning ahead of the finals on Wednesday at 5:20am. [Dennis Okeyo and Jonathan Komen]