By Israel La Rue
Faith Kipyegon has done it again. Just a week after breaking the world record in the women’s 1,500 meters, the Kenyan broke the women’s 5,000-meter world record Friday at the Paris Diamond League, running 14:05.20 to beat Letesenbet Gidey’s record of 14:06.62 set in 2020.
“I am so happy,” Kipyegon said. “I am very emotional right now and do not know what to say. If my body is healthy, anything is possible.”
And Kipyegon’s world record wasn’t the only one set at the meet – the fans saw two other long-standing world records fall.
Ethiopian Lamecha Girma, who has won silver at two world championships and one Olympics, broke the men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase world record with a time of 7:52.11. The previous world record of 7:53.63 was set in 2004 by Saif Saaeed Shaheen.
“The world record is not a surprise,” said Girma, who ran the last few laps of the race alone – the runner-up, Ryuji Miura of Japan, finished more than 17 seconds behind. “I planned to beat it tonight in Paris. It's a result of a full determination.”
This was Girma’s second Diamond League win of the season. He also won the flat 3,000 meters at Doha, and he is at the top of the standings for two events for the Diamond League final, which will be the Prefontaine Classic at Hayward Field on Sept. 16-17.
At #ParisDL, Lamecha Girma ran a 7:52.11 in the men's 3000m steeplechase, breaking the WORLD RECORD! ? pic.twitter.com/iD5EnioBV2
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) June 10, 2023
Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen ran 7:54.10 in the men’s 2-mile, shattering the previous world record of 7:58.61 set by Daniel Komen in 1997. The event was not part of the Diamond League program, but it was set up for a world-record attempt.
“Being able to make this record feels amazing,” Ingebrigtsen said. “The pace felt very smooth for me, coming out of the 1,500m. I would say it was a good race.”
But Kipyegon was, for the second consecutive Diamond League meet, the highlight.
The 5,000 meters had a mix of 1,500, 5,000 and steeplechase specialists. Kipyegon, who has two world championship golds and two Olympic golds in the 1,500 meters, hadn’t run the event in a major competition since 2015. Gidey, an experienced 5,000-meter runner, set the pace.
With five laps left, the pacer, Beatrice Chepkoech, stepped to the side, allowing Gidey to push the pace. But Kipyegon was with her, never falling behind by more than five meters. Kipyegon held on to Gidey’s pace until the final 700 meters, when she overtook Gidey and made it her race.
“I just ran after Gidey,” Kipyegon said. “She is an amazing lady.”
Gidey went stride for stride with Kipyegon, putting pressure on the Kenyan until the final 150 meters. Kipyegon’s kick left Gidey behind in the last 100 meters. Gidey finished 2.74 seconds behind.
“I did not think about the WR,” Kipyegon said. “I do not know how I made it. I just focused on the green light and tried to stay relaxed and enjoy the race.”
The world records weren’t the only strong performances.
In the men’s 100-meter hurdles, Grant Holloway got off to the start he wanted, winning in 12.98, his first sub-13 time of the season. He said his start was “way better” than last week in Rome.
“It felt like Grant Holloway,” he said. “Someone finally gave it back to me.”
Holloway has progressively gotten better with each Diamond League meet: 13.12 at Rabat, 13.04 in Rome and Friday’s sub-13, which put him .11 ahead of runner-up Just Kwaou-Mathey.
“I've been doing nothing but getting better, and that's the Grant Holloway recipe,” he said.
After the race, Holloway looked into the camera and said, “I know you see, and I know you watching.”
He was speaking of his stepfather, who died recently.
“[He] helped me raise me,” Holloway said. “And I've been over here, so unfortunately, I wasn't in Chesapeake, Virginia, where I'm from, for his passing. But after all this, I'm able to go home, see his memorial service, see him one last time, and get back to work.”
Grant Holloway acknowledges his late stepfather after winning the men's 110mH. pic.twitter.com/uw6iJfOpnj
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) June 9, 2023
In the women’s 800, world and Olympic silver medalist Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain opened her Diamond League season in 1:55.77, setting a national record.
“I am a little bit shocked that I ran so fast,” Hodgkinson said. “I had heard good things about the track. With this full stadium and the great crowd, it was amazing.”
Hodgkinson got off to a fast start, and her kick in the final 300 meters separated her from the field. Ajee Wilson finished second in 1:58.16.
“What is next with such a fast time early in the season?” Hodgkinson said. “Well, I do not know. Hopefully, I will run even faster.”
In the men’s 100 meters, Noah Lyles won in 9.97, just .01 ahead of Ferdinand Omanyala. It’s a step in the right direction for his goal to compete in a Diamond League Final double in the 100 and 200.
“In my head, I know I can do it,” Lyles said. “Course there’s people who think I can’t, but that’s for them to decide. They can lose money on that bet.
“I think that I’ve been showing that I can do both,” Lyles said. “I’ve only lost to one person and that’s Christian Coleman. I’ve come out and faced the top of the world. All I gotta do is knock a few more people out and win races.”
In the women’s 200, Gabby Thomas won her third career Diamond League meet in 22.05, beating fellow American Abby Steiner by .29
“This race was a really important race for me,” Thomas said. “That lineup was a 200-meter trials final – those are the girls that are gonna be my competitors.”
A new 22.05 season’s best for Gabby Thomas earned her a victory in the women’s 200m! #ParisDLpic.twitter.com/5h22ifUDFo
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) June 9, 2023
Other U.S. notables from the meet:
Valarie Allman threw a meet record of 69.04 to win the women’s discus.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, world record holder in the 400-meter hurdles, finished second in her first 400-meter race since the 2019 Shanghai Diamond League meet, running a personal best of 49.71.
Heptathlete Anna Hall placed eighth in the high jump with a jump of 1.91 and ran a personal best of 50.82 in the 400, finishing seventh.
