Lausanne (Switzerland): World Athletics, the governing body for track and field on Monday ratified World Records set this season by Kenyan Faith Kipyegon in women’s 1500m and 5000m and Ethiopian Lamecha Girma in men’s 3000m steeplechase.
Also ratified was the World Record in the non-Olympic Games event, the women’s 35km race walk, by Maria Perez of Spain.
Kenya’s Kipyegon has achieved three world records since June and two of those marks – in the women’s 1500m and 5000m have now been officially included in the record books. Her women’s mile record set in Monaco on July 21 is pending ratification.
The first of Kipyegon’s world records was set at the Golden Gala, a Wanda Diamond League meeting, in Florence on June 2. On that occasion, the two-time world and Olympic champion ran 3:49.11 to break the women’s world 1500m record of 3:50.07 that had been set by Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba in Monaco on 17 July 2015, the World Athletics informed in a release on Monday.
“There’s still more to come,” Kipyegon had said after taking down the eight-year-old record. “I’m still working on running faster than that, faster than 3:49. I’m really thankful today that I managed to run 3:49 and I’m still heading towards beautiful races in the rest of the season.”
She proved that she was not exaggerating as just one week later, she raced at the Meeting de Paris, also a Wanda Diamond League event, on June 9 and set the World Record in the 5000m.
Though her original plan was not about the 5000m, and she was rather aiming for the 1500m record again, Kipyegon went for the world record of 14:06.62 set by Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey in Valencia on October 7, 2020. Kipyegon broke it, running 14:05.20 in just her third-ever race at the distance.
Speeding up with every stride, she hit the bell in 13:04.1 and covered the final lap in 61.1 seconds for a 1.42-second improvement on Gidey’s mark.
“I didn’t think about the world record, I don’t know how I made it,” said a surprised Kipyegon after that race. “I just wanted to improve on my PB, the world record was not my plan. I just ran after Gidey – she is an amazing lady,” she was quoted as saying in a release by World Athletics.
On one of the greatest nights in athletics, Ethiopia’s Girma set his sights on the men’s world 3000m steeplechase record of 7:53.63 set by Qatar’s Saif Saaeed Shaheen in Paris on September 3, 2004.
He requested for ambitious pace as he aimed for a finishing time of around 7:52. That’s exactly what Girma managed as he crossed the finish line in 7:52.11 to take 1.52 seconds off the mark set 19 years prior.
“I feel so happy,” Girma, who started his year with a world indoor record over 3000m, said after setting the World Record. “I’m happy and very proud. I felt so fast during the race, so confident. The world record is not a surprise; it was my plan to beat it tonight in Paris. It’s the result of my full determination,” he was quoted as saying in the release.
Perez achieved her world record in Podebrady on May 21, clocking 2:37:15 to improve the women’s 35km race walk mark by 29 seconds.
The Spanish athlete was a dominant winner at the European Race-Walking Team Championships, a World Athletics Race Walking Tour Gold event, where she eclipsed the world record of 2:37:44 that had been set by Peru’s double world champion Kimberly Garcia in Dudince on 25 March.
“It is a nice feeling to finish the race and the time is a big reward,” said Perez. “I did not think of any time or any special target before the start, I just wanted to finish the best I could. So, the record time was definitely not my goal today. I am happy to do my best and I am glad to see that race walk can be attractive and can attract such great crowds like in Podebrady.”
Records ratified on Monday:
Women’s World 1500m record
3:49.11 Faith Kipyegon (KEN) Florence on June 2, 2023
Women’s World 5000m record
14:05.20 Faith Kipyegon (KEN) Paris on June 9, 2023
Men’s world 3000m steeplechase record
7:52.11 Lamecha Girma (ETH) Paris on June 9, 2023
Women’s World 35km race walk record
2:37:15 Maria Perez (ESP) Podebrady on May 21, 2023
–IANS