Day 5 evening preview: Will any one beat Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the men’s 1500m final?

This is Justin Lagat’s preview of the Day 5 evening session. 

The evening on the 5^th day of athletics in Budapest is action-packed. The men’s 1500m final will be tonight’s big event. Will any one beat Jakob Ingebrigtsen?

So far, Ingebrigtsen is the only runner who has gone under 3:28.00 this year, with his 3:27.14, which he ran on 16th last month. The other medal positions appear open, given the level of competition and the blanket finishes witnessed in the semi-finals. The fact that some big contenders, including Mohamed Katir, who has a seasonal best time of 2:28.89, and Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot, could not make it to the final is enough evidence that we should expect some surprise medalists on the podium.

Abel Kipsang and Reynold Cheruiyot are the two Kenyans in the final expected to add another medal, or two, to Kenya’s treasure cabinet in Budapest. USA’s Yared Nuguse is also one of the big contenders to watch out for here. Do not discount Josh Kerr, the Olympic bronze medalist, who has looked good in the rounds!

Due to the hot weather conditions in Budapest, the women’s 5000m heats, in which the newly crowned 1500m champion, Faith Kipyegon, returns for more, was moved from the morning to the evening session.

Sifan Hassan, who has been in the 10,000m and 1500m races, will also return to seek glory for her country in a distance that falls between the two distances she has already done. It should be interesting to see whether she will still have the energy to tackle the great talents in this event.

The first heat has, among others, Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet and Margaret Chelimo, Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay –the freshly crowned world 10,000m champion-  and Medina Eisa, Uganda’s Sarah Chelangat and USA’s Alicia Monson. The finals of the event, for the top eight in each heat, will happen on the 26^th of August.

The second heat featuring Kipyegon and Hassan also has Ethiopia’s Freyni Hailu and Ejgayehu Taye, who won the bronze medal in the 10,000m on the first day, Jessica Hull of Australia, and Kenya’s Lilian Kasait.

As Kenyan men try to regain their steeplechase supremacy, their women counterparts continue to impress, and tonight’s heats should show that.

Kenya’s world record holder, Beatrice Chepkoech, the current world leader, Jackline Chepkoech, and the reigning world U20 champion Faith Cherotich will take on the track for the heats tonight. With five from each heat proceeding to the final, it will be a huge surprise if one Kenyan fails to make it there.

Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi and Ethiopia’s Zembo Almayew are some of the strong contenders to look out for in the women’s 3000m heats. The finals will happen on the 27^th, the last evening of the championships.