Despite missing out on a medal in the 1500 metres, Nelly Chepchirchir says that she is elated to have competed at the World Championships in Tokyo and is looking forward to winning one in future.
Chepchirchir was unlucky to miss out on bronze in the 1500 metres final on Wednesday night, finishing just behind Australia's Jessica Hull, who managed third place. Dorcus Ewoi and Faith Kipyegon filled out the top two positions.
Despite missing out, Chepchirchir is happy with the fact that she collected a personal best
“There’s nothing to regret because I made it to the finals,” she told World Athletics.
This was Chepchirchir's third major global event, and in all three, she has unfortunately missed out on the podium. She finished fifth in her first World Athletics Championships in Budapest in 2023 and 13th in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
She is happy to have made an obvious improvement, especially as regards the time she posted.
“The race was good because we all wanted to make the finals since the first day. I appreciate the results because even though I am out of the medal bracket, I picked my personal best.”
Chepchirchir came into the World Championships on the back of remarkable form, winning the overall Diamond League title in Zurich last month, where she beat Jessica Hull, and registering just a single loss this year.
She will have no complaints considering who she faced in the race. Kipyegon has collected her fourth overall world championships title and is the undisputed queen of middle-distance running.
