Kenya Bags Second Gold as Faith Kipyegon Sets New Record

Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon wins Kenya's second gold
Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon wins Kenya's second gold
The Standard

Kenya has bagged her second gold after Faith Kipyegon emerged victorious in the women 1500m at the ongoing 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Faith clocked 3:53:11 to defend her Olympic Gold Medal. She also set a new Olympic Record.

Briton Laura Muir came second bagging silver while Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands won bronze.

In a race that was so hard to predict, Faith finally delivered, breaking away from the rest of the pack with 350m to go to set a new Olympics record.

Kipyegon breezed past 5000m champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands on the lap and maintain the tempo to the tape.

Britain's Laura Mir edged Hassan with 150m to go to take silver and post a national record. Hassan settled for bronze meaning that she will not be winning a treble as she anticipated before. 

After winning gold in the 5000m, Hassan was aiming for a double in the 1500m but Kipyegon who beat her in Monaco on the eve of the Olympics, did it again in style to leave her chasing shadows. The Dutchwoman will now look forward to competing in the 10000m final on Saturday. 

Kipyegon had promised her daughter Alyn gold when she went to Tokyo and she did it in style. A brief break from the game in 2018, allowed her to become a mother for the first time and this achievement could not have come at any time better. 

The 27-year-old showed her intentions early from the first lap, ensuring that she kept everyone in check and when the moment of reckoning knocked the door, and she did not disappoint. 

Her latest triumph has made her the only Kenyan athlete to successfully defend the Olympics title from the Rio 2016 team.