Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba smashed the 1500m world record with a time of 3:50.07 at the Monaco leg of the IAAF Diamond League on Friday.
World indoor 800m champion Chanelle Price paced the 24-year-old through 400m in 1:00.31 and 800m in 2:04.52, before watching her finish in grand style.
European champion Sifan Hassan was just lurking by the corner as Dibaba passed the bell in 2:50.3, but the two-time world indoor champion never compromised her chances, going on to cover the final 100m dashing down the line.
The win saw her take down Qu Yunxia’s mark of 3:50.46, set at the 1993 National Games in Beijing.
She is the first Ethiopian person to hold a world outdoor middle distance record ever.
“The pacemaker did a great job,” said Dibaba after the race. “I’m the first athlete from Ethiopia to break the world record in the 1500m; that is amazing.
“I think Tirunesh will be happy, all of Ethiopia will be happy,” added Dibaba of her older sister, who recently gave birth to her first child. “I knew from the beginning that I could break the record and I feel like I can still improve. I’ll try to break the 5000m world record after the World Championships in Beijing.”
Six women ran faster than four minutes in the high-impact race. Hassan clocked a national record of 3:56.05 in second, while Rowbury broke the North American record with 3:56.29 in third. 2011 world champion Jenny Simpson recorded her second-fastest time ever with 3:57.30 in fourth.
In the men’s 1500m, Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop came close to beating Hicham El Guerrouj’s world record, with a 3:26.69secs finish in a race which saw eight men run Personal Best times.
Algeria’s Olympic champion Taoufik Makhloufi claimed runner-up berth in a PB of 3:28.75, ahead of Morocco’s Abdelaati Iguider.
Britain’s Mo Farah- European record holder and Olympic and world champion over 5000m and 1000m- fought hard but ended up in fourth position.
Bosnia’s Amel Tuka, having trailed in third position in their final 50m of the men’s 800m, produced a scintillating finish to edge 2014 Herculis winner, Nijel Amos of Botswana. Tuka’s 1:42.51 time was a national record and his season’s best.
Fastest man in the world in 2015, Justin Gatlin set a Metting record in the 100m after clocking 9.78secs ahead of countryman and former world champion Tyson Gay.
