Nine months on from becoming the Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion in Paris, Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet dropped down in distance to become the second-fastest women’s 3000m runner of all time at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Rabat on Sunday (25).
The 25-year-old won a race against the pace lights set for 8:15.00, kicking on the final lap to cross the finish line in 8:11.56 – an African and Wanda Diamond League record that moves her to No.2 on the world all-time list. Only China’s Wang Junxia with her world record of 8:06.11 from 1993 has ever gone faster.
Chebet, world record-holder for the 10,000m and road 5km, tucked herself behind the two pacemakers from the start. With two minutes on the clock, a lead group of three behind the pacemakers had already been established, but Chebet didn’t have company for long.
After Winnie Nanyondo took them through 1000m in 2:44.47, the pace dropped ever so slightly and Chebet reached 2000m in 5:30.51. She was running at the back of the pace lights with two laps to go but was right on the rhythm at the bell. Kicking again, Chebet left the lights behind and powered over the finish line in 8:11.56.
She won by more than 14 seconds but showing the great standard, Nadia Battocletti’s 8:26.27 for second place was still an Italian record, while Ireland’s Sarah Healy set a PB of 8:27.02 to finish third.
“I am so happy,” said Chebet. “I was not preparing for a world record attempt, I just came to run my personal best and that’s what I did. I just have to believe in myself and then maybe after some months or years, that world record will come.
“After a few laps I realised I was on my own, but I kept pushing myself to show everyone what I can do. I really like this distance – it’s nothing like a 5000m or 10,000m, it’s something completely different and I am also good at it.”
Soufiane El Bakkali was another of the six Olympic champions from Paris in action and he received great home support from the Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athletisme de Rabat crowd.
While the two-time world and Olympic champion’s victory in the 3000m steeplechase never looked under threat, the race did finish in thrilling style. As El Bakkali secured the win in a world lead of 8:00.70, European fourth-place finisher Frederik Ruppert chased him over the finish line in 8:01.49 to take almost eight seconds off the German record. Kenya’s 17-year-old world U20 champion Edmund Serem was third in a PB of 8:07.47.
Bol starts in style, Masalela makes statement
World champion Femke Bol has tweaked her technique since her last 400m hurdles race eight months ago and, using a new race start, she achieved her fastest ever season opener by far.
The Dutch multiple Olympic medallist set a meeting record of 52.46 with a dominant run that saw her win by more than a second. Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight was runner-up in 53.90.
“I felt good in training, but a real race is always different so it’s good to be back after a long time without competitions and to test myself again,” said Bol. “I changed my step rhythm between the hurdles and I didn’t have any problems with it during the race. I had the feeling that it went smoothly but my coach will probably have seen some points of improvement, like maybe the fifth and sixth hurdles.”
Botswana’s Tshepiso Masalela celebrated his 26th birthday by securing a statement win in the 800m. The pacemaker hit 400m in 49.99, followed by Masalela and Great Britain’s Max Burgin, before Masalela took over. The world and Olympic finalist kicked away from his rivals and strode over the finish line in a world-leading meeting record and PB of 1:42.70, adding this victory to the win he claimed in Doha.
Burgin also set a PB, clocking 1:43.34 for the runner-up spot, while Kenya’s Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi came through for third in 1:43.37.
The women’s 800m was won by Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma as she narrowly held off her successor as world indoor champion, South Africa’s Prudence Sekgodiso, 1:57.42 to 1:57.52.
USA’s Jonah Koech secured the biggest 1500m win of his career so far, using a strong finish to triumph after a tactical battle. Azeddine Habz of France had taken control of the race but began to tire down the home straight and he had no response when Koech timed his kick to perfection.
Koech improved the meeting record with a big PB of 3:31.43 and he was followed by Kenya’s Reynold Cheruiyot and Festus Lagat who respectively clocked 3:31.78 and 3:32.06 – a PB for the latter. Habz finished fourth in 3:32.25. Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir won the women’s 1500m in 3:58.04.
In the sprints, South Africa’s Akani Simbine maintained his superb start to the season by adding to a win streak that includes victories in Xiamen and Shaoxing/Keqiao, getting another Diamond League triumph in Rabat.
This time the world indoor 60m bronze medallist ran 9.95 (0.6m/s) after chasing down the fast-starting African record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya who held on for the runner-up spot in 10.05. USA’s 2022 world champion Fred Kerley was third in 10.07 and he went on to match that position in a 200m won by USA’s Courtney Lindsey in 20.04 (0.4m/s). Joseph Fahnbulleh finished fast to secure the runner-up spot in 20.12 ahead of Kerley (20.16).
After finishing second in the 200m in Xiamen, Jamaica’s two-time world 200m champion Shericka Jackson started her 100m season with a win, clocking 11.04 (0.2m/s) to win by 0.04 ahead of Maia McCoy, while Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan improved the meeting record to 12.45 to triumph in the 100m hurdles.
USA’s world leader Jacory Patterson fought all the way to the finish line and was rewarded with 400m victory as he passed a tiring Zakithi Nene and dipped for victory – 44.37 to 44.46. Olympic champion Quincy Hall was third in 44.90.
The men’s shot put came down to a thrilling conclusion and in the end USA’s Payton Otterdahl and Jamaica’s Olympic bronze medallist Rajindra Campbell were separated by just two centimetres.
Otterdahl, back in action just three days after his win at the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Zagreb, led with his opening throw of 21.83m before Campbell launched himself ahead with 21.95m in the fifth round. Otterdahl wasn’t done, however, and he responded with a world-leading 21.97m in the sixth and final round to clinch victory.
World champion Katie Moon cleared 4.73m to win the pole vault before taking three attempts at 4.80m, while Olympic champion Hamish Kerr cliched victory in the high jump on countback thanks to his perfect scorecard up to the winning height of 2.25m.
Elina Tzengko made it three out of three when it comes to Diamond League wins this season in the javelin, throwing 64.60m to triumph ahead of Adriana Vilagos (63.25m).
