The fans at the Hungarian Athletics Center were treated to a fascinating men’s 1500m final. Great Britain’s Josh Kerr emerged victorious to win gold quickly at 3:29.38.
During the race, Kerr remained patient until the last 200m when he pulled a surprise kick. Jakob Ingebrigtsen reacted and kept the inside lane as the two ran shoulder to shoulder. But with about 50m to go, Ingebrigtsen could not hold him off any longer, and the 25-year-old student at the University of New Mexico Lobos studying Exercise Science crossed the finish line and punched the air in celebration.
It was the first-ever medal at the championships for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medalist.
No one is invincible. After a brilliant season, many expected Ingebrigtsen to triumph, but a silver medal was what he won tonight after controlling the better part of the race at the front. His countryman, Narve Nodaz, came strongly from behind to edge out Kenya’s Abel Kipsang and take home the bronze medal in 3:29.68 against Kipsang’s 3:29.89.
My body may be adjusting to the weather in Budapest, but the weather felt slightly cooler tonight. The atmosphere, too, was excellent, with fans enjoying every bit of the moment.
In the women’s 5000m heats, Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet edged Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay just at the finish line to win the first heat in 14:57.70 against 14:57.72.
One would have expected Sifan Hassan to benefit from a slower heat after participating in too many events already, but she was the one pushing the pace in the second heat. Nazomi Tanaka of Japan and Laura Galvan of Mexico registered national records in the race, running 14:37.98 and 14:43.94 to finish 6th and 8th, respectively.
There was a sprint finish in the home straight between Beatrice Chepkoech and Winfred Yavi in the first heat of the women’s 3000m steeplechase race, and Yavi won it in a slight margin of 0.04 seconds. She ran 9:19.18.
In the second heat, a trio of Peruth Chemutai, Faith Cherotich, and Sembo Almayew separated from the rest with four laps to go. Maruša Mišmaš zrimšek of Slovenia fought her way and got reattached with the pack as they came to the bell. Cherotich won the race in 9:19.55, slightly edging Almayew in 9:19.60.
From the third-last lap, Jackline Cherotich started playing around with the field, surging at the water jump, then relaxing to let others catch up with her. She extended her lead on the last lap to win the heat in 9:16.41. She was followed by Zerfe Wondemagegn in 9:16.97.
Anybody who has been following Josh Kerr’s performances since his entering University of New Mexico and his subsequent path is NOT surprised by this result in BUDAPEST23.
Pluds Jakob had an albatross around his neck from Eugene and OREGON22 and he had this look od Deja Vu, all over again!, as Jake passed him.