BRITAIN’S KEELY HODGKINSON produced a thrilling gun-to-tape run to win women’s Olympic 800m gold in Paris on Monday.
Hodgkinson timed 1:56.72 for victory, with Ethiopian Tsige Duguma claiming silver in 1:57.15 and Kenya’s Mary Moraa taking bronze (1:57.42).
The 22-year-old Briton, who won silver in the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games three years ago, and is also a two-time world silver medallist, held her nerve perfectly at the bell.
The chasing field was closely packed, Moraa on her shoulder all the way around the far straight, before launching an attack with 200 metres to go.
Hodgkinson showed all her nervy steel to hold her off and even put in a spurt to give herself some breathing space. Moraa was eventually overtaken by Duguma at the line.
Hodgkinson becomes the third British woman to win Olympic 800m gold after Anne Packer in 1964 and Kelly Holmes in 2004.
Noah Lyles, fresh from winning Olympic 100m gold in Paris, cruised his 200m heat at the Stade de France to keep his bid for a sprint treble alive.
Lyles, who won the 100m in a photo-finish from Jamaican Kishane Thompson in 9.79 seconds, topped his 200m heat in 20.19 seconds. The triple world 200m champion had a slow start but as soon as he hit the bend he looked in total control.
The semi-finals are scheduled for 6.02pm (Irish time) on Wednesday, with the final set for 6.30pm on Thursday.
Lyles’ Jamaican partner Junelle Bromfield qualified for the semi-finals of the women’s 400m, on the couple’s two-year anniversary.
Also going through into the 200m semis as heat winners were fellow 100m finalists Letsile Tebogo of Botswana (20.10 seconds) and American Kenny Bednarek (19.96).
A third American, Erriyon Knighton, a silver and bronze medallist at the past two world championships, topped another heat in 19.99 seconds. Canada’s Andre de Grasse, defending champion and silver medallist at the Rio Games, also qualified, clocking 20.30 seconds behind Lyles.
South Africa’s 400m world record holder and gold medallist in Rio, Wayde van Niekerk, went through after finishing third in his heat, won by Liberia’s Joseph Fahnbulleh.
Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet produced a masterful display of tactical running to win gold in the Olympic women’s 5,000m to end defending champion Sifan Hassan’s dream of a long-distance treble.
Chebet — nicknamed “the smiling assassin” — bided her time before accelerating past compatriot Faith Kipyegon down the home straight to take gold in 14.28.56 at the Stade de France.
Kipyegon, the reigning 5,000m world champion, crossed the finish line in second place but was swiftly disqualified for a shove in the closing laps.
That ruling saw Dutchwoman Hassan moved into the silver medal position with a time of 14:30.61 while Italy’s Nadia Battocletti took bronze in 14:31.64.
Hassan, 31, had been aiming to become the first woman in history to win 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon gold at the same Olympics, emulating the feat achieved by men’s distance running legend Emile Zatopek at the 1952 Helsinki Games.
But after deploying her favoured tactic of staying at the back of the field for most of the race, Hassan was unable to live with the pace of Kenya’s Chebet and Kipyegon in the final stages of a thrilling race.
Kipyegon edged just clear of Chebet coming down the home straight but was unable to respond when her compatriot found an extra gear and swept past her.
Chebet’s victory was the latest milestone in a dazzling season for the 24-year-old Kenyan, who set a world record in the 10,000m in Eugene, Oregon in May.
Chebet will now look to seize Hassan’s Olympic 10,000m crown when the race takes place on Friday.
