Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet both set new world records on Saturday at an extraordinary Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon.
Kipyegon, who fell short in her quest to become the first woman in history to run a four-minute mile last month, bounced back in impressive style to break her own women’s 1,500m world record with a time of 3:48.68.
She dominated the race, holding off Australia’s Jessica Hull who stuck with her until the back straight, eventually winning by almost three seconds.
As Kipyegon crossed the line, the crowd erupted, knowing she had shaved 0.36 seconds off the world record, while she turned and pointed back towards the clock before wrapping herself in a Kenyan flag.
Earlier in the meet, also known as the Prefontaine Classic, Chebet obliterated the 5,000m world record by more than two seconds, becoming the first woman to complete the distance in under 14 minutes.
She crossed the line in 13:58.06, more than three seconds ahead of Agnes Jebet Ngetich in second place, who recorded the third-fastest time in history.
Gudaf Tsegay, the previous world record holder, finished the race in third place with a time of 14:04.41.
Chebet had already broken the 14-minute barrier on the road in January when she completed the race in 13:54.
“I’m so happy,” Chebet said afterward. “In Rome (where she recorded a time of 14:03.69), I was just running to win a race. After Rome, I say that I am capable of running a world record so let me go back home and prepare … I told myself, ‘if Faith is trying for a world record in Eugene, why not me too?’”
“It’s a good track for me,” she added, referencing her previous success in Eugene where she broke the women’s 10,000m world record last year.
Now, Chebet holds the 5,000m and 10,000m women’s world records as well as the Olympic titles in both events.
Elsewhere at the meet, Mondo Duplantis comfortably won the men’s pole vault but failed to raise his own world record, hitting the bar on all three of his attempts to clear 6.29m.
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