TOKYO (AP) — Faith Kipyegon took a tiny glance at the clock after rounding the final curve of the final lap of the 1,500 meters at the world track championships Tuesday night.

It’s her only real competition these days.

The Kenyan star, whose inspiring quest for the four-minute mile was the talk of track earlier this year, was widening her lead over the rest of the runners as she rounded the bend. Seconds later, she was flashing four fingers — one for every world title she’s won in a race she has dominated for the better part of a decade.

Kipyegon finished in 3 minutes, 52.15 seconds for a nearly three-second win over another Kenyan, Dorcus Ewoi. Kipyegon joins the great Moroccan, Hicham El Guerrouj, as only the second runner to win four world titles at 1,500 meters.

“This was my dream, just to defend my title in the 1,500 for the fourth time,” Kipyegon said. “And keep making history.”

In June, the 31-year-old mother of 7-year-old Alyn fell six seconds and change short of a different dream.

She was trying to become the first woman to break the hallowed four-minute mark in the mile. If that bothered her — or took anything out of her — she sure did hide it well. Three months after that disappointment, she lowered her own world record in the 1,500 — the metric mile — to 3:48.68.

Her glance at the clock in this return to the stadium in Tokyo, which was empty four years ago when she captured the second of her three Olympic titles, made it clear the world record was off the table. Even so, she expanded a 1.31-second lead over Jessica Hull, the eventual third-place finisher, to almost triple that.

The margin over Ewoi was 2.77.

But perhaps the most telling sign of how Kipyegon dominated came after the race, as Ewoi and Hull were writhing on the ground. Kipyegon jogged over, bent down and patted Ewoi on the chest, then reached to grab Hull by the arm and pull her up.

“This is my first time one-on-one interacting with Faith,” said Ewoi, a 28-year-old who trains in America and won her first medal at a major. “I always watch her doing amazing things. I never thought I’d be sitting together with her, hearing something from her. She’s really inspiring everybody, and that’s really good for the sport.”

Indeed, Kipyegon says getting “women who are coming out to push themselves, and have that bigger thought or bigger goals” is what the four-minute-mile quest, the world records and the endless string of titles are about.

She was among a group of female runners that included Allyson Felix and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce who had babies in their prime, but refused to bend to the untrue belief that motherhood meant the end of success on the track.

Maybe it was fitting, then, that Kipyegon received a call from Alyn on the morning of the race.

“She said, ‘When are you going to get a medal?’ and I told her, ‘Today!’” Kipyegon said. “I was happy that when she got back from school I was on the starting line and she could see it.”

Tinch wins hurdles for sixth US gold

Cordell Tinch won the gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles, putting a temporary halt to a less-than-excellent start to the championships for the United States.

Tinch gave the U.S. its sixth gold medal after four days to go with two bronze.

America was shut out in the women’s 100-meter hurdles and hammer throw and men’s pole vault — often good medal producers — and lost a decent medal chance when Cole Hocker was disqualified in the semifinals of the 1,500.

Nikki Hiltz had a chance in the women’s 1,500 that was missing several top challengers but finished fifth.

Golden New Zealand

Olympic champion Hamish Kerr won the high jump to give New Zealand a gold medal for a second straight night. He followed Geordie Beamish, who captured the steeplechase crown for the country’s first title in a men’s track event at the worlds.

“He gave me a kick in my (rear) after his win last night so I had to win, too,” Kerr said. “It’s really kind of cool to share our best moments together.”

The last time New Zealand had anyone finish on the podium at the worlds was in 2019 when Tom Walsh earned bronze in the shot put.

Another Canadian gold in hammer throw

Ethan Katzberg watched Canadian teammate Camryn Rogers win gold in the hammer the night before. His only thought? Follow suit.

“It was an incredible performance from her, so for Canada to win the men’s hammer tonight as well is amazing,” said Katzberg, the Olympic champion.

Katzberg threw the hammer 84.70 meters (277-10) on his second attempt and it held up. Merlin Hummel of Germany took silver and Bence Halasz of Hungary earned bronze.

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AP Sports Writer Pat Graham contributed.

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