Hassan runs 29:06.82 at Fanny Blankers-Koen Games to eclipse 2016 Olympic performance from Ayana by more than 10 seconds, follow all-time great global performances on same track by Bekele and Gebrselassie; Duplantis produces first 20-foot outdoor clearance this year, McLeod clocks 13.08 in 110 hurdles

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

The last time Sifan Hassan ran the 10,000 meters in Hengelo, the Dutch athlete produced an ambitious pace of 14 minutes, 37 seconds for the first half of the race, and despite competing during a downpour, she still managed to produce the fourth-fastest time in history.

With more favorable conditions Sunday, Hassan was just as aggressive early in the race in her return to the same stadium in the Netherlands at the 40th edition of the Fanny Blankers-Koen Games, but her strength over the final kilometer and speed during the last lap all led to a staggering 29:06.82 performance at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold event, eclipsing the world record of 29:17.45 achieved by Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana in the 2016 Olympic final in Rio de Janeiro.

Hassan, a Nike professional who clocked 29:36.67 in Hengelo in October, covered the final 400 in 64 seconds Sunday, the last part of a 2:45.77 last kilometer, after covering the first half of the race in 14:38.75.

She joined the world-record efforts on the same Hengelo track of Ethiopian legends Haile Gebrselassie in the 10,000 in 1998 (26:22.75) and Kenenisa Bekele in the 5,000 in 20004 (12:37.35), marks both lowered last year by Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei.

Hassan, who lapped every other athlete in the field to win by more than 90 seconds, now holds world records in the mile (4:12.33), which she achieved in Monaco in 2019, along with World Championship gold medals in the 1,500 and 10,000 from Doha, Qatar, two years ago.

With the advancements in the sport of both racing shoe and wavelight technology, the world records in the 5,000 and 10,000 in both genders have all been eclipsed in the past 11 months. Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia ran 14:06.62 in the 5,000 in October in Spain, a mark that could be the next career target on the track for Hassan, who has run a personal-best 14:22.12 in 2019.

Another world record-holder, Sweden’s Armand “Mondo” Duplantis, cleared 20 feet (6.10m) in the men’s pole vault for the top global outdoor performance this year.

Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn ran a wind-legal 12.44 in the 100 hurdles, giving her three of the top four marks in the world this year, highlighted by her 12.32 on April 17 at the Tom Jones Memorial in Gainesville, Fla.

Jamaica’s Omar McLeod improved to the No. 2 athlete globally this season in the 110 hurdles with a wind-legal 13.08 performance, as American Devon Allen was runner-up in 13.32. McLeod trails only the 13.07 effort achieved by American Grant Holloway at the Tom Jones Memorial.

British standout Dina Asher-Smith ran a wind-legal 10.92 seconds in the 100-meter dash to equal the No. 8 competitor in the world this year.

Scottish athletes Jemma Reekie (2:00.77) and Laura Muir (2:00.95) took the top two spots in the 800 meters, with England’s Ellie Baker running 2:01.02 to take third.

Dutch athlete Femke Bol equaled the No. 3 competitor in the world this year in the 400 hurdles, clocking 54.33, with Anna Ryzhykova of Ukraine elevating to No. 5 globally this season at 54.59.

American Fred Kerley prevailed in the 400 in 44.74, just off his 44.60 performance at the Diamond League Meeting in Doha, which is equal to No. 7 in the world this year.

Following a fourth-place finish at the Diamond League event in his home country, Qatar star Abderrahman Samba rebounded to win the 400 hurdles in 48.56, with Yasmani Copello of Turkey clocking 48.88.

Poland’s Mateusz Borkowski held off France’s Benjamin Robert by a 1:47.02 to 1:47.15 margin in the men’s 800, with British athlete Elliot Giles taking third in 1:47.22.

Scotland’s Jake Wightman won the 1,500 in 3:34.67, ahead of Kenyan Abel Kipsang (3:35.63).

France’s Agustin Bey led four athletes who surpassed the 8-meter mark in the long jump, prevailing with a wind-legal effort of 26-9.25 (8.16m).

Cuba’s Yaime Perez edged Croatia’s Sandra Perkovic in the women’s discus by a 216-3 (65.91m) to 215-10 (65.80m) margin.

Maksim Nedasekau of Belarus cleared 7-4.25 (2.24m) in the men’s high jump.

Isaac Makwala of Botswana clocked a wind-legal 20.37 to win the men’s 200, and Cynthia Bolingo of Belgium ran 51.16 to triumph in the women’s 400.