World Athletics Championships: Faith Kipyegon storms to historic fourth 1500m title in Tokyo

Australia’s Olympic silver medallist Jessica Hull faded to bronze after attempting to follow as Kipyegon wound up the pace, with Dorcus Ewoi securing a Kenyan one-two.

The unstoppable Kipyegon crossed the line in three minutes 52.15 seconds, the chasm separating her from her competitors evidenced by the near three-second wait for Ewoi to follow.

With outstretched arms and a relaxed smile which suggested it had never felt in doubt, Kipyegon celebrated the eighth global gold of her career.

That is level with Jamaican sprint star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce – the only other woman to win as many as four world titles in the same event – and distance running great Tirunesh Dibaba for the most by a female athlete in individual events.

Kipyegon will now target a second successive world double in the 5,000m, the heats for which begin on Thursday before Saturday’s final.