Incredible Paris Diamond League Ramps Up Excitement For Olympics, Kipyegon Lowers 1,500 WR, Mahuchikh Breaks 37-Year-Old High Jump Record; Three Men Go Under 1:42

By David Woods for DyeStat

Photos by Diamond League AG

There was no waiting until the Olympic Games for track and field history to be made in Paris.

World records were set by Faith Kipyegon in the 1,500 meters and Yaroslava Mahuchikh in the high jump, and three men broke 1:42 in the 800 meters in the Diamond League stop Sunday at Charlety Stadium.

Kipyegon, a 30-year-old Kenyan, broke her own record with a time of 3:49.04. Previous mark was 3:49.11 in Florence, Italy, on June 2, 2023.

She was coming off a time of 3:53.98 in the Kenyan trials at 5,800-foot altitude. She is seeking a third Olympic gold medal in the 1,500.

“I knew the world record was possible because I recently ran very fast in Kenya,” Kipyegon told World Athletics. “I was coming here to just run my race and to see what shape I’m in to defend my title at the Olympics.”

Australia’s Jessica Hull finished second in 3:50.83 -- a five-second PB, Oceania record, best non-winning time ever and No. 5 on the all-time world list. Laura Muir was third in a British record of 3:53.79, making this the first 1,500 ever with three women under 3:54.

Linden Hall of Australia was fourth in 3:56.40 and Georgia Bell of Britain fifth in 3:56.54. A record 12 women were under 4:00.

Kipyegon followed the pacesetter through 800 meters in 2:04, with Hull on her heels. Hull, 27, a two-time NCAA champion at Oregon, did not lose contact until about 250 meters remained.

Mahuchikh, a 22-year-old Ukrainian, leaped 6 feet, 10.75 inches (2.10m) on her first attempt. She broke one of the oldest records on the books, 6-10.25 (2.09m) by Bulgaria’s Stefka Kostadinova at the 1987 World Championships in Rome.

“Now I’m fighting for my country at every competition,” said Mahuchikh, an inspirational figure in Ukraine, which is at war against Russia.

“I had a feeling, really, a feeling that I could do it,” she said. “Yesterday I planned 2.07. And after that, I can jump 2.10. Now, I jump it first attempt, and it was, ‘Wow!’ It was fantastic.”

Her previous best was 6-9 (2.06m). She earned a bronze medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, silvers at the 2019 and 2022 Worlds, and gold at the 2023 Worlds. She was silver medalist at March’s indoor Worlds.

Mahuchikh jumped 1.95m on her second attempt, 1.98m on the first, 2.01m and 2.03m on the second, passed 2.05m, made 2.07m on the second. Then it was on to the world record.

The 800 meters featured the fastest mass finish ever, exceeding the 2012 London Olympics.

With the top three separated by five-hundredths of a second, Djamel Sedjati of Algeria overtook Kenya’s 19-year-old Emmanuel Wanyonyi, 1:41.56 to 1:41.58. Gabriel Tual of France was third in a national record of 1:41.61.

Sedjati is 4-0 in the Diamond League this year. Top three climbed to Nos. 3, 4 and 5 on the all-time list, surpassing Sebastian Coe’s 1:41.73 from 1981.

It was the first race with three men under 1:42 and six under 1:43.

Both previous records were from London 2012. Kenya’s David Rudisha set a world record of 1:40.91 at those Olympics.

Aaron Cheminingwa and Wyclife Kinyamal, both of Kenya, were fourth and fifth at Paris, both in 1:42.08. Eliot Crestan of Belgium was sixth in a national record of 1:42.43.

There was an inevitable world record attempt in the pole vault by Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis, who has raised it eight times since February 2020.

After winning at 19-8.25 (6.00m), Duplantis had the bar raised to 20-6.25 (6.25m). He passed his first attempt, waiting for a better wind, before missing twice.

Sam Kendricks, winner at the U.S. Olympic Trials, was second at 19-6.25 (5.95m). American record-holder KC Lightfoot, after no-heighting in U.S. trials qualifying, was seventh at 18-10.25 (5.75m). Chris Nilsen, second at U.S. trials, missed three times at his opening height of 18-0.50 (5.50m).

Allman extends discus streak

In other women’s events:

>> Valarie Allman threw 223-4 (68.07m) on her final attempt, three feet off the meet record she set last year, to win the discus. It was the third straight Paris victory for the defending Olympic champion.  The Netherlands’ Jorinde van Klinken, a three-time NCAA champion at Arizona State and Oregon, threw a season-best 220-7 (67.23m) on her last attempt for second place.

“I think this really reminds me of how it is going to be at the Olympics,” said Allman, who extended her winning streak to nine.  “Everybody wants to win, it’s a dogfight, and you can’t take it for granted.”

>> Brooke Andersen, after fouling three times at the U.S. trials, won the hammer by nearly 12 feet with a meet record of 240-8 (73.27m) on her last attempt.

“Trials were heartbreaking,” she said. “I would be lying if I said I hadn’t cried since arriving here in Paris. Just seeing everything is tough.

“Even though it’s really hard right now, I am just trying to find the fun in throwing hammer again after such a big disappointment.”

>> Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino, reigning Olympic silver medalist and world champion, ran to a season-best 49.20 in the 400. Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser, who won the 2019 world title and then served a doping suspension, was third in 49.82.

>> Notre Dame’s Olivia Markezich, whose bid to make the Olympic team was undone by a fall after the last barrier, finished fourth in the 3,000 steeplechase in a PB 9:14.67 – leaving her No. 3 on the all-time collegiate list. Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi was first in 9:03.68.

French hurdler edges Cunningham

In other men’s events:

>> Trey Cunningham clattered the ninth barrier and was overtaken in the 110 hurdles Sasha Zhoya of France. Zhoya, 22, holds U18 and U20 world records. Cunningham celebrated immediately afterward, not seeing Zhoya out in lane 8. Both were timed in 13.15, or .01 ahead of Japan’s Shunsuke Izumiya, 13.16.

>> Abrham Sime of Ethiopia nipped Kenya’s Amos Serem in the 3,000 steeplechase, both timed in 8:02.36. New Zealand’s Geordie Beamish, who beat Cole Hocker to win the World indoor title in the 1,500, was fifth in an Oceania record of 8:09.64. Anthony Rotich, eighth at the U.S. trials, was 11th in 8:14.22.

>> Brazil’s Alison dos Santos won the 400 hurdles by a smaller-than-expected margin over Estonia’s Rasmus Magi, 47.78 to 47.95.

>> Ivory Coast’s Cheickna Traore, NCAA champion from Penn State, pulled up in the 200. Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic was first in 19.98.

Contact David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.