Paris 2024 Olympics: Faith Kipyegon embarks on 1,500m medal quest after emotional rollercoaster in 5000m duel

Paris 2024 Olympics: Faith Kipyegon embarks on 1,500m medal quest after emotional rollercoaster in 5000m duel

Joel Omotto 06:00 - 06.08.2024

World and Olympics champion Faith Kipyegon will be out to seal her place in the 1,500m semi-final on Tuesday with compatriots Susan Ejore and Nelly Chepchirchir providing backup.

Faith Kipyegon will begin her journey to possible Olympics history when she takes to the track in the women’s 1,500m heats.

Kipyegon is considered the greatest 1,500m female runner of all time after winning two Olympics titles and three global crowns and a third straight Olympics gold would further etch her name in Olympics history.

To get to the final, however, she will need to navigate through the heats and semi-finals and the first round begins on Tuesday morning 10.05am.

Kipyegon will be in the second heat, that also has Ethiopian Welteji Diribe, where she is expected to stroll into the semis, that happening after the first one that will have compatriot Susan Ejore.

Nelly Chepchirchir is the other Kenyan in the race and will compete in the third heat.

Kenya will hope to have all three runners in the semi-final but Kipyegon cannot escape the limelight given she is the world and Olympics champion as well as the world record holder.

The 30-year-old has featured in three 1,500m races this year and looked untroubled with the events including the Paris Diamond League last month when she lowered her own world record to 3:49.04.

The world record was set at the same venue where the Olympics is taking place and a repeat of the same cannot be ruled out in the final.