Budapest23: Kenyan quartet qualify to set up a thrilling 5000m final

The women's 5000m final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary, promises to be an interesting one with four Kenyans through after dominant displays in their respective heats.

World record holder over the distance Faith Kipyegon, 2022 world silver medalist Beatrice Chebet, Lilian Kasait, and Margaret Chelimo will be flying the Kenyan flag in the hunt for a clean sweep.

Latvian 19-year-old Agate Caune set the mood early enough in the first heat and even took a 120m lead at some point but she withered in the last lap and had to settle for a fourth-place finish.

However, Chebet, with experience from last year, came alive when it mattered most to clock 14:57.70 and finish first ahead of Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay and Chelimo who took the second and third places.

It was always going to be Kipyegon against Sifan Hassan in the second heat, and they lived up to that expectation as they went shoulder to should to the finish line to set up a thrilling encounter in the final, with the Dutch having just two milliseconds advantage over Kipyegon as she finished in 14:32.29 while the Kenyan clocked 14:32.31.

On the final straight, Kasait suffered a scare after a nasty fall that saw her relinquish the third spot but she picked herself up to finish fifth in the fastest of the two heats.

Budapest23: Majestic Faith Kipyegon delivers Kenya's first gold

In the women's 3000m steeplechase, World record holder Beatrice Chepkoech was the first Kenyan to book her spot in the final showdown after clocking 9:19.22 to finish second in the first heat behind Winfred Mutile Yavi of Bahrain.

19-year-old Faith Cherotich showed excellent running to claim the first position in the second heat clocking 9:19.55 ahead of Ethiopia's Sembo Almayew and Uganda's Peruth Jemutai.

Jackline Chepkoech was the fastest in the heats, clocking 9:16.41 to seal her spot in the last heat and confirm the Kenyan trio in the final.