Atheltics Weekly

EVENT-BY-EVENT PREVIEW – WOMEN
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KIPYEGON TO WIN CLOSE RACE
1500m
LAURA MUIR will not have to
face Hellen Obiri, who easily
beat her at the Anniversary
Games in London, but the task
facing her is still enormous,
especially as her stress
response injury means she has
not exhibited the same form she
showed indoors in the winter.
Olympic champion
Faith Kipyegon has again
shown great form and has a
good mixture of speed and
endurance but despite running
3:57.51 in Paris was beaten
by Sifan Hassan. The Dutch
woman medalled in 2015 but
looks a far stronger athlete this
year and has greatly improved
her 800m speed.
The world record-holder
Genzebe Dibaba has not
looked in the same form as
when she won the 2015 title
but her world-leading mile
time suggests she should be
regarded as a co-favourite.
Three other athletes have
been inside four minutes
this year – Winny Chebet,
Konstanze Klosterhalfen and
Gudaf Tsegay but while they
Faith Kipyegon:
Olympic
champion has
impressed in 2017
are almost certain finalists, they
would not be expected to win a
medal in such exalted company.
Klosterhalfen looks a fine
prospect, but it may be one
championships too early for
the German who took Muir
on in the European Indoor
Championships.
Other leading Europeans are
Meraf Bahta of Sweden and
Laura Weightman
and Jess Judd:
happy to be in
London
Angela Cichocka of Poland who
could also make the final.
USA’s former champion
Jenny Simpson should again
be to the fore while the most
curious entry is 800m favourite
Caster Semenya, who doesn’t
qualify by time but by winning
the African title last year.
Her presence should at least
mean there won’t be a repeat
of Beijing and Rio which were
effectively 800m races and
there is no evidence yet she
could take a very fast pace and
three 1500m races.
Muir herself may want to set
a quick pace after paying for a
very fast third lap in Rio, which
meant she crumbled in the last
200 metres.
Despite her recent 800m
PB, she will fare better off in
an honest race from the start
but will not want to tow the
opposition round but in front of
a home crowd, expect a huge
roar when Muir hits the front.
Double Olympic finalist Laura
Sifan
Hassan:
much
improved
in 2017
Weightman would also benefit
from a quick pace in both the
heats and the final.
Jessica Judd will be making
her senior championships debut
at 1500m but may find it hard to
make the final this time, despite
making big improvement, but
she will undoubtedly give it a
go.
Thanks to Muir’s Diamond
League victory last year, Britain
uniquely fields four athletes and
Sarah McDonald is another
improving athlete but would
need a big improvement to get
through the semi-finals.
Ireland’s Ciara Mageean
could go close though. SS
Event statistics
World record: 3:50.07 Genzebe
Dibaba (ETH)
Champs record: 3:58.52 Tatyana
Tomashova (RUS)
Defending champion: Dibaba
British interest: Jess Judd, Sarah
McDonald, Laura Muir, Laura
Weightman
AW prediction: 1 Kipyegon (KEN);
2 Hassan (NED); 3 Dibaba (ETH)
History: The only double champions
are Hassiba Boulmerka and drugs
cheat Tatyana Tomashova though
Boulmerka also won a bronze medal.
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