Faith Kipyegon, Nelly Chepchirchir and Susan Ejore lined up for the tough women’s 1500m semifinal hoping to make the final at the Paris Olympics.
Kipyegon, a two-time Olympic 1500m champion has already tasted what it feels like to compete against other bigwigs but Ejore and Chepchirchir are experiencing the first-hand ordeals of racing on the Olympic stage.
The semifinal rules state that the first six athletes in each heat have the chance to qualify for the final, where the tough battle awaits.
Competing in semifinal one, Kipyegon took a comfortable win in 3:58.64 as Great Britain’s Georgia Bell finished an impressive second in 3:59.49. Elle St. Pierre completed the podium in 3:59.74. Chepchirchir missed out on a top finish, fading to 11th place to cross the finish line in 4:03.24.
Kipyegon, the double world champion, has already had a tough encounter in the women’s 5000m where she was disqualified for obstruction after winning a silver medal in the race won by Beatrice Chebet.
Later, her silver medal was reinstated, but she was handed a yellow card, meaning any offence she would make in her subsequent races would lead to a disqualification.
Meanwhile, competing in the second semifinal, Ejore had high hopes of sealing the ticket to the final following past setbacks that have cost her a slot in Team Kenya.
She was off to a great start in her campaign, looking comfortable running with the leading group and maintaining the momentum. After fighting hard for her place, Ejore finished an impressive fifth, crossing the finish line in a personal best time of 3:56.57.
Diribe Welteji claimed the win in the race, crossing the finish line in 3:55.10 as Jessica Hull came in second in a stunning 3:55.40. Nikki Hiltz was majestic, crossing the finish in 3:56.17 to complete the podium. Gudaf Tsegay finished distant fourth in 3:56.41 to seal a ticket to the final of the race.
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