By Maddie Lang and Israel La Rue
Faith Kipyegon added one more world record to the books Friday night at the Monaco Diamond League meeting—the women’s mile, her third world record in a span of two months. Her time of 4:07.64 is almost five seconds faster than the previous record of 4:12.33, set by Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands in July 2019, and it follows her world records earlier this season in the 5,000 meters and the 1,500 meters.
“When I started this season, my goal was to just break the 1,500 world record,” Kipyegon said. “It was still in my head and in my mind. Thank God I did also the 1 mile and the 5,000. So many.”
She tucked in behind the pacemakers and in time with the pacer lights from the sound of the gun. By the time the third lap came around, she began to pass the pacer lights. At the sound of the bell, she was a stride ahead of them and the world record was just 400 meters away.
Kipyegon pushed the pace on the final lap, claiming the world record and finishing 6.94 seconds ahead of runner-up Ciara Mageean of Ireland, who set a national record in 4:14.58.
In addition to Kipyegon and Mageean, five other runners set national records: fourth-place Laura Muir set a UK record of 4:15.24, fifth-place Jessica Hull set an Australian record of 4:15.34, sixth place Nikki Hiltz set a US record of 4:16.35, Bérénice Cleyet-Merle, who finished 11th, set a French record of 4:26.06, and Joselyn Brea, who finished 13th, set a Venezuelan record of 4:27.41.
“It was a blessing to do this with these ladies,” Kipyegon said. “I can see that they are all happy for me and it is so emotional. It is a blessing, it just doesn't happen every time you run. I have to say, ‘Thanks, God,’ for this.”
Kipyegon now has 24 qualification points towards the Diamond League final, which will take place during the Pre Classic at Hayward Field in Eugene on Sept. 16-17. She is sitting in second place in the rankings, behind Freweyni Hailu, who took third in a personal best 4:14.79, who has 27 points. Hull is in third with 21 points.
Kipyegon is also seventh in the standings in the 5,000 meters with eight points – from her victory (and world record) at the Paris meet.
In the men’s 400-meter hurdles, Norwegian Karsten Warholm won his third consecutive Diamond League race in a Diamond League record 46.51. The Tokyo gold medalist and world record holder bested his own world leading time, finishing 1.15 seconds ahead of reigning world champion Alison dos Santos of Brazil.
“I won everything and I have the record, so I have to enjoy it because there is no other reason to do it,” Warholm said. “The goal is always to get the win.”
Warholm took the lead right out of the blocks. He glided over the first hurdle, making up the lane seven stagger. He increased his lead in the back stretch, with dos Santos on his tail for most of the race.
Coming around the final curve, dos Santos tried to make a move on Warholm, but that’s when Warholm turned on the jets for his third Diamond League victory of the season. Runner-up dos Santos crossed the line in a season-best 47.66 in his first Diamond League meet this season.
“The meeting is amazing – I have always liked to be here, the track is fast,” dos Santos said. “Now I will get ready for Budapest, to be able to win my world champion title again.”
Warholm sits in third in the Diamond League standings with 24 points. American CJ Allen, who finished third in 47.84, leads the standings with 28 points. Dos Santos, who is returning from an injury, is in the ninth spot with seven points. The top eight make the final, and there is one more 400-meter hurdles competition remaining.
In the women’s high jump, five women jumped over 1.96 meters, and Olympic silver medalist Nicola Olyslagers of Australia came out on top, jumping 1.99m.
“Today I felt it a bit difficult because all my other contestants were so good,” Olyslagers said.
Olyslagers passed on the first height then jumped over 1.90m and 1.93m on her first attempts. At 1.96m, she fouled on her first two jumps, and she also missed twice at 1.99m to secure the victory.
The only jumper to make 1.96 on the first attempt was Olympian Iryna Gerashchenko of Ukraine. The other four jumpers who cleared it needed two or three attempts.
Third-place finisher Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine, bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, jumped over 1.96 on her second attempt. Since Gerashchenko jumped over 1.96 on her first attempt, she finished in second.
Reigning world champion Eleanor Patterson of Australia and reigning Serbian national champion Angelina Topić tied for fourth place, jumping 1.96 on their final attempts.
Gerashchenko leads the Diamond League standings with 34 points, and Olyslagers is second with 31. Mahuchikh is in fourth with 20 points.
In the women’s 100-meter hurdles, Nia Ali won her first Diamond League race with a world lead, meet record and personal best of 12.30, edging fellow American Keni Harrison by .01.
“I feel amazing … I cannot believe it, and it is lovely to have won here in Monaco,” said Ali, the 2016 Olympic silver medalist and 2019 world champion.
Ali got a great start and was the first runner over the first hurdle. “I started very fast and then in the middle of the race I told myself ‘do not fall asleep,’” she said.
At the 50-meter mark, Harrison gained on Ali, then overtook her for the lead in the last four hurdles. But Ali’s perfect dip at the finish line edged out Harrison by .01.
“I keep losing by 0.01 seconds, so it does not make me too happy,” said Harrison, who won silver at the Tokyo Olympics. “But on the other hand, everything may be different at the worlds.”
Americans swept the event, with Alaysha Johnson finishing third and Tia Jones finishing fourth in identical times of 12.39.
“I know that Budapest will be a very strong competition and a very fast race, so I am looking forward to the challenges,” Ali said.
The victory moved Ali into a tie for first place in the standings with 23 points. Johnson is in third with 16 points, and Harrison and Jones are tied for seventh with 14 points.
In the women’s 200 meters, reigning world champion Shericka Jackson won with a time of 21.86. Her win moved her to second place in the Diamond League standings with 16 points.
“It was great for me today,” Jackson said. “Last time, I was second here, so to come here and take the win, it is really really good.”
This was Jackson’s second race of the week after winning at the Gyulai István Memorial with a time three days before in 22.02.
“I had a hard training session yesterday, and still I was able to run 21,” Jackson said. “So that is good.”
Jackson’s curve wasn’t the best, but she made up for it on the straight, where no one could keep up with her.
“Honestly, the curve was hard enough... I have to go back to the training for this,” said Jackson, who will run her third race of the week Sunday at the London Diamond League event.
Second-place finisher Julien Alfred,the NCAA 100-meter champion in 2022 and 2023 and the 200-meter champ in 2023, turned pro and signed with Puma before the race. She finished in 22.08 and is tied for eighth in the Diamond League standings – the final qualifying spot – with seven points.
“I was just focusing on running, not beating anyone,” Alfred said “It was a bit rusty, to be honest, but I am still in preparation for the worlds.”
Third-place finisher Dina Asher-Smith, the 2019 world champion,ran a season-best of 22.23. She leads the Diamond League standings with 18 points.
