Faith Kipyegon at the 2016 IAAF Diamond League meeting in Eugene.PHOTO/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 1 – Faith Kipyegon’s hopes for a fairytale ending was dashed after the newly crowned Olympic champion missed out on the 2016 IAAF Diamond League trophy and Sh4m prize money in the women’s 1500m at the penultimate round in Zurich.
Kipyegon, who entered the race as favourite having a lead of 36 points, disappointingly finished seventh, giving Briton Laura Muir the opportunity to scoop the Diamond League trophy and Sh4m (USD40,000) after finishing second behind American Shannon Rowbury.
Kipyegon, the reigning commonwealth champion only needed to finish in the top three to be crowned the winner but despite starting off well to take charge of the race at the bell, the Kenyan was out of gas with 150 meters to go.
She ended up finishing seventh in 4:01.86 to also miss the Sh1m (USD10,000) prize money of the meet, while Muir crossed the line in 3:57.85 behind winner of the day Rowbury who clocked as season’s best of 3:57.78.
In the women’s 800m, it went as predicted with South African Caster Semenya winning the trophy after dominating the race in 1:56.44 ahead of Burundian Francine Niyonsaba (1:56.76) who finished second and third placed Kenyan Margaret Wambui (1:57.04).
The three athletes finished in that order at the Rio Olympic Games an indication that the trio will dominate the race for sometime after 2013 world champion Eunice Sum only managed to finish ninth in 1:59.31.
The women’s 3000m steeplechase saw Kenyan-born Ruth Jebet of Bahrain continue her supremacy this season after taking home the Diamond League trophy and prize money to add on the Olympic crown.
Jebet, who smashed the world record (8:52.78) in Paris, last week, ran a meeting record of 9:07.00 to cross the line first way ahead of Kenyan and reigning world champion Hyvin Kiyeng who finished second in 9:10.15.
