IMAGE: Masai Russell of the US in lane No 5 crosses the line to win the gold medal in the women’s 100m hurdles ahead of France’s Samba-Mayela and Puerto Rico’s Camacho-Quinn at the Paris Olympics on Saturday. Photographs: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
American Masai Russell won the Olympic 100 metres hurdles title in a blanket finish on Saturday, edging out home hope Cyrena Samba-Mayela and Tokyo champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn.
Russell clocked 12.33 seconds as French President Emmanuel Macron watched from the stands and Samba-Mayela delivered France’s first track medal of the Paris Games with silver in 12.34 and Puerto Rico’s Camacho-Quinn (12.36) took bronze.
IMAGE: Masai Russell celebrates winning the Olympic 100 metres hurdles title. Photograph: James Lang-USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
Russell was in superb shape after setting a world lead of 12.25 at the US trials in June and she exploded out of the blocks before gliding over the hurdles.
She held on by her fingernails as Samba-Mayela gained ground with every step and Camacho-Quinn tried to make up for a poor start.
There was a confusing moment as the results board initially showed Samba-Mayela’s name first – and then Camacho-Quinn’s at the top of the standings – before settling on Russell.
The crowd at the Stade de France was elated nonetheless and Camacho-Quinn delivered Puerto Rico’s first medal of the Games.
Kenya’s Kipyegon wins third straight 1,500m gold
IMAGE: Faith Kipyegon of Kenya in tears after winning the women’s 1500m gold. Photographs: Dylan Martinez/Reuters
Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon won her third straight Olympic 1,500 metres gold on Saturday, surging ahead of the pack to finish more than a second ahead of the field.
Kipyegon cemented her status as one of the all-time great middle-distance runners, becoming the first athlete to claim three successive Olympic 1,500m titles.
Her winning time of three minutes 51.29 seconds broke the Olympic record, and she collapsed to the track, hands on her head in disbelief, after crossing the finish line.
Australia’s Jessica Hull took silver and Britain’s Georgia Bell bronze as both found the strength to pass Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji on the home straight. Hull clocked 3:52.56 and Bell crossed in 3:52.61, a national record and four seconds quicker than her previous best time.
Kipyegon, who broke her own world record a month ago, spent much of the race in second place on the shoulder of Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay, but powered to the front with a lap to go and built an untouchable lead.
Tsegay, world champion over 10,000m, faded suddenly and fell back to cross the line last.
Wanyonyi extends Kenya’s 800m domination
IMAGE: Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi, right, crosses the finish line ahead of Marco Arop to win the men’s 800 metres. Photographs: Sarah Meyssonnier/Reuters
Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi held off one of the strongest fields in history to win the Olympic gold medal in the men’s 800 metres on Saturday, securing his country’s fifth consecutive Olympic title in the event.
The 20-year-old Wanyonyi blazed to a time of one minute 41.19 seconds, making him the third fastest man ever over the distance. The world silver medallist narrowly missed the world record of 1:40.91 set by Kenya’s David Rudisha at the 2012 London Olympics, in laying down the fifth fastest time ever run.
Canada’s World champion Marco Arop furiously tried to overtake the Kenyan over the final 100m, but finished one-hundredth of a second behind in 1:41.20.
Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati, the favourite after going unbeaten all season and setting four world-leading times, made a tactical error in sitting near the back of the pack for too long and crossed the line in 1:41.50 for bronze.
Wanyonyi, who turned 19 nine days ago, boldly led from gun to tape as the first seven across the line were separated by about a second and a half and fifth-placed Bryce Hoppel set an American record.
Arop’s silver was the Canadian’s first medal in two Olympics. The 25-year-old was born in Sudan and forced by the civil war to flee with his family of eight when he was two years old.
Sedjati, who had been third quickest in history before Saturday, is known for his remarkable kick, but delayed his move too long and had to settle for bronze.
Ingebrigtsen makes amends with 5,000m gold
IMAGE: Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen forged ahead with 250 metres to go to win the Olympic 5,000 metres gold with a fierce final lap. Photographs: Andrew Nelles-USA TODAY Sports/Reuters
Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen bounced back from defeat in the 1,500 metres to win the Olympic 5,000 metres gold with a fierce final lap on Saturday, just as he did in the last two world championships.
Ingebrigtsen was the defending Olympic champion over 1,500 but was run out of the medals and was determined to make amends in the longer distance, having taking gold over 5,000 in the last two world championships after also losing in his favourite event.
His rivals played into his hands on Saturday by running most of the race at pedestrian pace, keeping the huge field of 22 together until the last few laps.
Ethiopian Hagos Gebrhiwet, who became the second-fastest man ever over the distance this year, finally put his foot down with 600 metres to go and the race was on.
Ingebrigtsen was initially caught in the pack, but did not panic, easing his way through and onto the leader’s shoulder and then forging ahead with 250 to go to come home well clear in 13 minutes 13.66.
Kenya’s Ronald Kwemoi got ahead in a charge for the line to take silver with American Grant Fisher adding a brilliant bronze to the one he picked up in the 10,000, as his country’s highly impressive campaign over the middle and long distances continued.
“For me the 5,000m is over triple my usual distance, so it was a very tough race,” Ingebrigtsen told reporters. “With the level being so high, people are running so fast this year, I knew I had to be at my very best to be able to fight for medals.
“I just tried to stay calm, went for it, I was able to catch up. Just an amazing feeling. The contrast in sports is unique. When you succeed, and sometimes you have a bad experience. It’s amazing to have this.”
Speaking about his comeback from 1,500m disappointment, he added: “When you hit a wall and don’t perform the way you want to, it’s very difficult. But for me, I’m participating in two events in Paris. I got another shot, I just had to make the most of it.”
