OREGON22: Cheruiyot, Kipsang to battle for 1500m title

World Athletics defending champion in the men's 1500m Timothy Cheruiyot will battle to defend his crown on Wednesday after booking a slot in the highly-anticipated. 

Cheruiyot will be joined by the the African champion, who is also the world indoor silver medalist and the fastest man in the world this year Abel Kipsang.

Both sailed into the final early Monday morning Kipsang easily winning his semi-final heat, while Cheruiyot finished fourth in his after a casual but calculated finish as he was already in automatic qualification position.

The holder was in poll position in the final lap and at home stretch, he eased off stopping the clock at 3:37.04 behind winner Josh Kerr, Mario Garcia and Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen. 

Kipsang crossed the line in 3:33.68 and will be one of the runners to beat in the final as will the defending champion whose season has been disrupted by a nagging hamstring injury.  

The two will have the Olympic champion, Ingebrigtsen to worry about as the Norwegian out-sprinted Kipruto at the Tokyo Olympics to win in 3:28.32, an Olympic Record. 

Also to watch wi be Great Britain's Olympic bronze medalist Kerr who pipped Kipsang to the podium in Tokyo.

Kumari Taki was unlucky as he tumbled and fell in the opening lap and could not recover in time for qualification, finish 12th in his heat. 

Earlier on, Moitalel Mpoke failed to get into the final of the 400m Hurdles after finishing sixth in his heat in a time of 49.34secs.