Kipyegon settles for silver in a National Record at Doha Worlds
NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 5 – Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon settled for silver in women’s 1500m at the Doha World Championships, setting a National Record of 3:54.22 as favourite Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands won gold in a Championship Record time of 3:51.95.
The win surged Hassan to her second gold medal of the World Championships, shrugging off the doping controversy that has embroiled her banned coach Alberto Salazar.
The 26-year-old Ethiopian-born Dutch runner romped home in a world leading championship record time of 3min 51.95sec to take gold at the Khalifa Stadium, with 2017 champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya claiming silver and Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay taking bronze.
It was Hassan’s second gold medal of the championships following her win in the 10,000m, making her the first woman to successfully double in the two events.
Her winning time was the sixth fastest in history, just under two seconds adrift of Genzebe DiBaba’s world mark of 3:50.07 set in 2015.
It was Hassan’s second gold medal of the championships following her win in the 10,000m, making her the first woman to successfully double in the two events.
Sifan Hassan takes the 1500m title in Doha – IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 (Getty Images) © Copyright
It capped a tumultuous week for Hassan, who was left stunned after Salazar’s four-year doping ban was announced on Tuesday.
Salazar was barred from the championships following the ban and his athletes from the Nike Oregon Project training group were ordered to immediately cease all communication with him.
“It’s a very hard week for me,” Hassan told the BBC.
“I was so just angry and I could not talk to anyone. I just ran all out. That hard work can’t be beaten by anything.
“It’s what makes me angry, I have been clean all my life. I work hard, I’m not an emotional person but it makes me so mad.”
Hassan had run a masterful race.
After taking her time at the back of the pack, she hit the front towards the end of the first lap and was always in control at the Khalifa Stadium.
Britain’s Laura Muir was on her shoulder at the bell but Hassan turned on the speed with around 250m to go to put clear daylight between her and the rest of the field, finishing around 20m ahead of Kipyegon.
Hassan had startled many at the start of the championships after her win in the 10,000m, showing a devastating turn of speed over the closing laps to take gold.
However she found herself at the eye of storm on Tuesday when news of Salazar’s four-year suspension rocked the championships.
Salazar, 61, was suspended for a catalogue of drugs violations uncovered in a years-long investigation by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA).
Hassan joined the Oregon Project in late 2016, shortly before an internal report by USADA detailing Salazar’s malpractice was leaked in early 2017.
Hassan emphasised in an earlier statement that Salazar’s ban related to activities which took place before she joined the team.
