Women 1500 metres Final
In a thrilling 1500 metres final that saw the lead change several times, Viola Kibiwot ran a personal best performance of 4:12.57 to take the honours for Kenya.
At the start, it was Inna Poluskina of Latvia who made the first break, stepping up the pace 100 metres into the race and breaking away from the pack, followed by Great Britain’s Lisa Dobriskey. The Latvian’s lead was not to last for long, as Dobriskey took command of the race to take the leaders through 400 metres in 1:07.09, with the Latvian dropping back, it was the Kenyan duo of Viola Kibiwot and Pamela Kipchonge who moved up to shadow Dobriskey as she continued to make the running through 800 metres in 2:18.76.
Coming into the last lap but one, the Kenyans decided that it was time to make their moved and through the lap gradually edged out Dobriskey, with Kibiwot now in front, followed by Dobriskey, Russia’s Olesya Syreva and Ethiopia’s Berhane Herpassa.
Coming of the bell for the final lap in 3:25.44, Kibiwot accelerated, as her compatriot Kipchonge fell right off the pace and dropped back into the following pack, leaving Dobriskey, Herpassa and Syreva in contention just behind Kibiwot.
Coming out of the final bend, Herpassa tried to catch Kibiwot, but to no avail as the Kenya accelerated to hold her lead and take the tape in a personal best of 4:12.59.
Dobriskey tried to stay with Herpassa, but had given too much earlier in the race and was passed in the final metres by Syreva, who took bronze in a personal best 4:14.32.
