2017 IAAF World ChampionshipsJul 29, 2017 by Johanna Gretschel
Dibaba's Back In Form, But Hassan Could Spoil 1500m World Title Defense
Dibaba's Back In Form, But Hassan Could Spoil 1500m World Title Defense
2017 IAAF World Championshps: Women's 1500m Preview
The 2017 IAAF World Championships are right around the corner! Check out the breakdown of the women's 1500m below.
Women's 1500m
When:
August 4, 1:35 PM CT (heats)
August 5, 1:35 PM CT (semi-finals)
August 7, 3:50 PM CT (final)
Top International Contenders: Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia), Faith Kipyegon (Kenya), Sifan Hassan (Netherlands), Caster Semenya (South Africa), Laura Muir (UK), Konstanze Klosterhalfen (Germany)
Team USA: Jenny Simpson, Kate Grace, Sara Vaughn
2016 Olympic 1500m Final:
*TBA - athlete's federation has not yet announced official roster for London
Analysis: All the major players will be ready to race in London and let me tell you, this one is going to be fun.
Let's start with Rio's gold and silver medalists, Faith Kipyegon and Genzebe Dibaba, who also went 1-2 -- albeit in the opposite order -- at the 2015 World Championships. Both are running well in 2017 and could easily take the top two spots for the third outdoor championship in a row.
Dibaba set the world record of 3:50.07 in 2015 and attributed her Olympic loss to a toe injury. This year, she looks to be back in proper form as she set the world record for 2K indoors and ran four seconds off the 21-year-old world record for the mile with an impressive 4:16 solo effort at the Lausanne Diamond League, worth about 3:57.82 for 1500m. Dibaba is set to double in London with the 5K, but that will not affect her 1500m racing as the first round of the longer event is three days after the 1500m final.
Kipyegon, meanwhile, has won the Shanghai and Eugene Diamond League meetings and twice run under four minutes, but tallied a loss to the Netherlands' Sifan Hassan, who has looked the best of any 1500m woman in the world this year. The 2016 world indoor champion is undefeated over 1500m and mile races and owns the three fastest times in the world this year, including her world leader of 3:56.
She's also lowered her 800m best by nearly two seconds this year to 1:56.81, which may give her competitors some pause. In contrast, Dibaba set her PB at 1:59.37 this year, and Kipyegon has run under two minutes only once in her career.
But there's one new face that won't be scared of a 1:56 performer: Caster Semenya, the two-time Olympic champion for 800m who has not lost a two lap race in nearly two years. She was a late addition to South Africa's 1500m roster after petitioning her federation. There is a chance she may not race the event at all, as she entered both the 800m and 400m at the Rio Olympics but only competed in the 800m. Semenya has raced only one 1500m this year, a 4:16 performance at the South African national championships, though her personal best is 4:01.
Of course, we can never count out an upset. Americans have enjoyed cheering on a special athlete in Jenny Simpson, who has racked up an impressive medal haul over the years that includes World Championships gold (2011) and bronze (2013) and Olympic bronze (2016). This year, she's run 4:19.98 for the full mile at the London Anniversary Games, good for fifth behind the likes of Laura Muir, Winny Chebet, and Angelika Cichocka, all of whom will race at worlds. (Event winner Hellen Obiri will contest the 5K at worlds.)
Simpson's season-best is worth about 4:02 for 1500m; her fastest at this time in medal years was 4:01.57 (2016); 4:00.48 (2013); and 4:03.54 (2011). The veteran racer certainly has a chance, and will be eager to avenge losing her shoe and placing 11th in the 2015 World Championships final.
Great Britain's Laura Muir, who made a heated run for the win at the Olympic Games only to fade to seventh, and Germany's Konstanze Klosterhalfen, who at just 20 years old ran a solo 3:59 to win the German National Championships, could also earn medals in the right race.
Women's 1500m
When:
August 4, 1:35 PM CT (heats)
August 5, 1:35 PM CT (semi-finals)
August 7, 3:50 PM CT (final)
Top International Contenders: Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia), Faith Kipyegon (Kenya), Sifan Hassan (Netherlands), Caster Semenya (South Africa), Laura Muir (UK), Konstanze Klosterhalfen (Germany)
Team USA: Jenny Simpson, Kate Grace, Sara Vaughn
2016 Olympic 1500m Final:
| PLACE | ATHLETE | COUNTRY | TIME | BACK IN 2017? |
| 1 | Faith Kipyegon | KEN | 4:08.92 | YES |
| 2 | Genzebe Dibaba | ETH | 4:10.27 | YES |
| 3 | Jenny Simpson | USA | 4:10.53 | YES |
| 4 | Shannon Rowbury | USA | 4:11.05 | NO |
| 5 | Sifan Hassan | NED | 4:11.23 | YES |
| 6 | Meraf Bahta | SWE | 4:12.59 | YES |
| 7 | Laura Muir | GBR | 4:12.88 | YES |
| 8 | Dawit Seyaum | ETH | 4:13.14 | YES |
| 9 | Besu Sado | ETH | 4:13.58 | YES |
| 10 | Sofia Ennaoui | POL | 4:14.72 | TBA |
| 11 | Laura Weightman | GBR | 4:14.95 | YES |
| 12 | Rababe Arafi | MAR | 4:15.16 | TBA |
Analysis: All the major players will be ready to race in London and let me tell you, this one is going to be fun.
Let's start with Rio's gold and silver medalists, Faith Kipyegon and Genzebe Dibaba, who also went 1-2 -- albeit in the opposite order -- at the 2015 World Championships. Both are running well in 2017 and could easily take the top two spots for the third outdoor championship in a row.
Dibaba set the world record of 3:50.07 in 2015 and attributed her Olympic loss to a toe injury. This year, she looks to be back in proper form as she set the world record for 2K indoors and ran four seconds off the 21-year-old world record for the mile with an impressive 4:16 solo effort at the Lausanne Diamond League, worth about 3:57.82 for 1500m. Dibaba is set to double in London with the 5K, but that will not affect her 1500m racing as the first round of the longer event is three days after the 1500m final.
Genzebe Dibaba sent the crowd wild with her world record attempt in the mile. A brilliant solo effort of 4:16.05. DIAMOND LEAGUE RECORD! pic.twitter.com/W8PhOMnHtQ
— IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) July 6, 2017
Kipyegon, meanwhile, has won the Shanghai and Eugene Diamond League meetings and twice run under four minutes, but tallied a loss to the Netherlands' Sifan Hassan, who has looked the best of any 1500m woman in the world this year. The 2016 world indoor champion is undefeated over 1500m and mile races and owns the three fastest times in the world this year, including her world leader of 3:56.
She's also lowered her 800m best by nearly two seconds this year to 1:56.81, which may give her competitors some pause. In contrast, Dibaba set her PB at 1:59.37 this year, and Kipyegon has run under two minutes only once in her career.
But there's one new face that won't be scared of a 1:56 performer: Caster Semenya, the two-time Olympic champion for 800m who has not lost a two lap race in nearly two years. She was a late addition to South Africa's 1500m roster after petitioning her federation. There is a chance she may not race the event at all, as she entered both the 800m and 400m at the Rio Olympics but only competed in the 800m. Semenya has raced only one 1500m this year, a 4:16 performance at the South African national championships, though her personal best is 4:01.
Of course, we can never count out an upset. Americans have enjoyed cheering on a special athlete in Jenny Simpson, who has racked up an impressive medal haul over the years that includes World Championships gold (2011) and bronze (2013) and Olympic bronze (2016). This year, she's run 4:19.98 for the full mile at the London Anniversary Games, good for fifth behind the likes of Laura Muir, Winny Chebet, and Angelika Cichocka, all of whom will race at worlds. (Event winner Hellen Obiri will contest the 5K at worlds.)Simpson's season-best is worth about 4:02 for 1500m; her fastest at this time in medal years was 4:01.57 (2016); 4:00.48 (2013); and 4:03.54 (2011). The veteran racer certainly has a chance, and will be eager to avenge losing her shoe and placing 11th in the 2015 World Championships final.
Great Britain's Laura Muir, who made a heated run for the win at the Olympic Games only to fade to seventh, and Germany's Konstanze Klosterhalfen, who at just 20 years old ran a solo 3:59 to win the German National Championships, could also earn medals in the right race.