Kenyan Kiprop retains world 1,500 metres title

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Kenyan Asbel Kiprop put last year's Olympic disappointment firmly behind him with an emphatic 1,500 metres world title defence on Sunday.

Kiprop of Kenya celebrates winning the men's 1,500 metres final during the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow

The long-striding Kiprop's devastating finishing kick quickly took him clear when he loomed up on team mate Nixon Kiplomo Chepseba's shoulder around 80 metres from home and he coasted over the line in 3:36.28.

Kiprop, Olympic champion in 2008, finished last in London when he was nursing a hamstring injury but has been in hot form this season, including a scintillating run in Monaco last month when he became the fourth fastest of all-time at the distance.

In the battle for minor medals, American Matthew Centrowitz (3:36.78) took silver and South African Johan Cronje (3.36:83) bronze.

Algeria's Olympic champion Taoufik Makhloufi missed the championships through illness.

(Reporting by Justin Palmer; editing by Ed Osmond)