Kipyegon, just less than 24 hours after clinching the 1500m world crown, showed a measured performance as she finished second in the second semi, slightly behind Sifan Hassan.
The Dutch lady who picked bronze in the 1500m put in a surge on the line after being passed by Kipyegon 50m to the end, but it mattered little and the Kenyan superstar didn’t care much as the only intention was qualification.
Hassan clocked 14:32.29, two hundredth of a second ahead of Kipyegon who timed 14:32.31.
Meanwhile, Lilian Kasait defied a thud at the home stretch to come home fourth and secure a qualification to the final. The Kenyan tangled feet with Ethiopian Ejgayehu Taye, but managed to rise to sprint for fifth in 14:36.61.
In the first heat, Beatrice Chebet, silver medalist from last year in Oregon and the reigning Commonwealth Games champion comfortably won in a time of 14:57.70 with Margaret Chelimo finishing third in 15:00.10.
