Australia’s Olympic silver medallist Jessica Hull faded to bronze after attempting to follow as Kipyegon wound up the pace, with Dorcus Ewoi securing a Kenyan one-two.

The unstoppable Kipyegon crossed the line in three minutes 52.15 seconds, the chasm separating her from her competitors evidenced by the near three-second wait for Ewoi to follow.

With outstretched arms and a relaxed smile which suggested it had never felt in doubt, Kipyegon celebrated the eighth global gold of her career.

That is level with Jamaican sprint star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce – the only other woman to win as many as four world titles in the same event – and distance running great Tirunesh Dibaba for the most by a female athlete in individual events.

Kipyegon will now target a second successive world double in the 5,000m, the heats for which begin on Thursday before Saturday’s final.