Kenyan Faith Kipyegon confirmed her status as the undisputed queen of middle distance running by setting a new world record for the 1,500 meters at the Paris Meeting, the eighth stage of the Diamond League, with a time of 3m49s04. Kipyegon, a double Olympic champion, improved her previous record by 7 hundredths of a second. "It is incredible to break the world record. I am in the right direction towards the Olympic Games in Paris," said Kipyegon, who aims to repeat her double victory in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters at the upcoming Olympics.
Kipyegon’s achievement is even more remarkable considering she had been struggling with muscle problems earlier this year, which limited her participation to the Kenyan selection trials in June. However, she demonstrated her full recovery by not only setting a new world record but also pushing other athletes to achieve national records for Oceania, Great Britain, and France. Esther Guerrero of Spain narrowly missed setting a new national record.
The Paris Meeting also witnessed other stellar performances. Ukrainian Yaroslava Mahuchikh set a new world record in the high jump by clearing 2.10 meters. Meanwhile, the Swede Armand Duplantis faced challenges due to strong winds, which prevented him from surpassing his own pole vault world record of 6.24 meters.
In the 800 meters, Algerian Djamel Sedjati won with a time of 1m41s56, the third-best mark of all time. The race was highly competitive, with the top three finishers breaking the 1m42 barrier. Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya and Gabriel Tual of France secured the second and third positions, respectively.
The Paris Meeting served as a prelude to the upcoming Olympic Games, with many athletes using the event to gauge their readiness. Armand Duplantis, who is the favorite to win a second Olympic title, and other French athletes like Gabriel Tual and Alice Finot, took the opportunity to compete against international rivals. The event was held in the afternoon to accommodate the announcement of the legislative election results later in the day.
- Kipyegon’s performance at the Paris Meeting underscores her dominance in middle-distance running and sets high expectations for her performance at the upcoming Olympics.
- Armand Duplantis, despite not breaking his own record, remains a strong contender for the Olympics, having consistently performed well in previous events.
- The Paris Meeting highlighted the competitive spirit and readiness of athletes as they prepare for the Olympic Games, offering a glimpse of the exciting performances to come.
