By Amy Tennery
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Kenya’s Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon took a victory lap with an easy win in the 1,500 metres at the inaugural women-only Athlos NYC meet on Thursday, while Brittany Brown stunned Paris 200 gold medallist Gabby Thomas.
Launched by entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian, Athlos aims to build off of the star power of women’s track, and fans piled into New York’s Icahn Stadium for a party atmosphere at the end of a busy athletics season.
The winners of each event pocketed $60,000 – twice the prize money offered at the Diamond League finale – and first place finishers each received a custom Tiffany crown.
World record holder Kipyegon, who claimed a third successive Olympic title in Paris, underlined her status as queen of the ‘metric mile’ after crossing the line in four minutes, 4.79 seconds to claim victory in New York.
Ethiopian Diribe Welteji (4:05.58) could not match the Kenyan’s power in a breathless sprint finish, while Kenyan Susan Ejore-Sanders (4:06.25) was third.
American Thomas ran out of gas in the final 50 metres of her event and finished three hundredths of a second behind Paris bronze medallist Brown, who clocked 22.18.
“I feel like this sport is really changing and growing – I’m excited to be a part of it,” said Brown. “This is a whole new event and we’re trying something new and I’m happy to be a part of trying.”
Ivorian Marie Josee Ta Lou-Smith won the 100 in 10.98, with Brown coming in second (11.05).
Olympic 400 champion Marileidy Paulino kept her undefeated streak in the event alive by coming home first in 49.59, while Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn won the 100 hurdles in 12.36, less than two weeks after taking the Diamond League finale.
“It’s only women – we’re able to put on a show,” Camacho-Quinn told the crowd after her race.
Paris 800 silver medallist Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia held off a challenge from Kenyan Mary Moraa around the final turn to cross the line first in 1:57.43.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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