Genzebe Dibaba Dominates Women’s 1500 at World Championships

August 25 Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba stormed to a dominant victory in the 1,500 metres at the world championships on Tuesday to claim her maiden major global title outdoors.

At the Bird’s Nest, it’s another Dibaba gold.

Next summer, she could become her nation’s first Olympic medalist at the distance.

She said: “It was not the race I wanted to run”.

Dibaba’s split of 1:57 for those final 800-meters would be right with Kenyan Eunice Sum’s 1:56.99 world-leading time for the open 800 in 2015.

The Ethiopian-born Sifan Hassan took bronze for the Netherlands in 4.09.34 but was not happy.

In an disappointing show for the Americans, Shannon Rowbury was seventh and 2011 world champion Jenny Simpson was 11th.

Sweden’s defending champion Abeba Aregawi finished sixth.

Dibaba will return to competition on Thursday for the first round of the 5,000. She will be seeking to complete a 1,500-5,000 double next weekend.

Rudisha led from start-to-finish and timed in at 1min 45.84sec for the victory with Poland’s Adam Kszczot claiming silver in 1:46.08.

He looked a step closer to his old form at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow previous year, but his success in Beijing is his first World Championship gold in the 800m since 2011.

Nicholas Bett of Kenya ran the fastest time this year to win the 400-meter hurdles title in 47.79 seconds on Tuesday at the world championships. It was Kenya’s first gold medal in any event shorter than 800-meters.

Silver went to Denis Kudryatsen of Russian Federation (48.05), bronze was Jeffrey Gibson of the Bahamas (48.17), and both of them set national records in the process.

Two-time world champion Kerron Clement placed fourth in his season-best 48.18 and Michael Tinsley, the Olympic and world silver medalist, placed eighth in 50.02.

The Olympic champion and world-record holder will wear a specially designed cooling hood over the two-day competition that begins Friday.

Fabrice Lapierre took silver with a jump of 8.24-meters.

The United States struggled in the sandpit as Jeff Henderson, who has jumped a world-leading 8.52-meters on the year, did not reach the final; nor did his compatriot Mike Hartfield.

Usain Bolt, champion and world record holder in the 100m, breezed through the first round of heats in the 200m, finishing in a time of 20.28 seconds.

Defending champion Christine Ohuruogu of Britain won the second semifinal heat in 50.16.

Bolt beat Justin Gatlin by one hundredth of a second on Sunday in the 100m race and is now out to secure a double at the World Championships.

American sprinter Wallace Spearmon Jr. missed his start in the 200-meter preliminary heats because of a slight tear in his left calf. Olympic bronze medalist Warren Weir of Jamaica advanced with a 20.24 season’s best.

Perkovic, the Diamond League victor in 2012, ᾽13 and ᾽14, moved from fourth place into the silver medal position with a final throw of 67.39.