What we have been seeing from Kenyan middle distance runner Faith Kipyegon over the last two weeks has been quite simply extraordinary. On June 2, she set the world record in the women’s 1500 metres with a time of three minutes, 49.11 seconds in a Diamond League event in Florence, Italy. Then on Friday, Kipyegon set a second world record in a span of a week. In Paris, Kipyegon had a time of 14 minutes, 5.2 seconds in a Diamond League event in Paris, France.
Who had the old world record?
Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia had the previous world record of 14 minutes, 6.62 seconds. That was set on October 7, 2020 in Valencia, Spain. Gidey still holds the world record in the women’s 1000 metres with a time of 29 minutes, 1.03 seconds which was set at the Ethiopian Olympic Trials on June 8, 2021.
Medal Standings in Women’s 5000 metres
Kipyegon reached the podium in Paris by 17.85 seconds over fourth place finisher Lilian Kasait Rengeruk of Kenya, who had a time of 14 minutes, 23.05 seconds. Gidey won the silver medal with a time of 14:07.94. Ejgayehu Taye of Ethiopia won the bronze medal with a time of 14:13.31. It is interesting that Kipyegon set the World Record in the women’s 5000 metres when she has not yet won an Olympic medal or a World Championship medal in the distance. Kipyegon has previously won two Olympic gold medals in the women’s 1500 metres (from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021), and four medals in the women’s 1500 metres (two gold medals and two silver) at the International Association of Athletics Federation World Championships.
World Record in the Men’s 3000 metre steeplechase
There was a second world record set in Paris in an event with Olympic status on Friday. Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia posted a world record time of seven minutes, 52.11 seconds in the men’s 3000 metre steeplechase. The original world record was set by Saif Saaeed Shaheen of Qatar, who had a time of 7:53.63 at the Memorial Van Damme in Belgium on September 3, 2004.
On Friday, Girma reached the podium by 18.62 seconds over Abrham Sime of Ethiopia, who had a fourth place time of 8:10.73. Ryuji Miura of Japan won the silver medal with a time of 8:09.91. Daniel Arce of Spain won the bronze medal with a time of 8:10.63.
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