Ingebrigtsen, Kipyegon, Girma Shine On One Track's Greatest Nights of Endurance

By David Woods for DyeStat

Diamond League photo

World records are precious in track and field because they happen so infrequently and often last for years, even decades.

That is why Friday in Paris will go down as one of the most extraordinary nights in the history of the world’s oldest sport.

World records were set at three separate distances -- including the second in a week for Faith Kipyegon -- in a Diamond League meet featuring a loud and packed stadium of 18,000.

In order, records were broken by Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 2-mile, Kipyegon at 5,000 meters and Lemecha Girma in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

Kipyegon, a 29-year-old Kenyan, clocked 14:05.20 to take down the record of 14:06.62 set by Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey in 2020. Gidey, who was a step behind Kipyegon at the bell, finished second in 14:07.94.

Kipyegon’s run came seven days after becoming the first woman to run 1,500 meters under 3:50, clocking 3:49.11 at Florence, Italy.

Sixty-nine years after the first sub-4-minute mile, Ingebrigtsen ran two 3:57 miles in succession.

The 22-year-old Norwegian stopped the clock at 7:54.10. He broke the 26-year-old world best of 7:58.61 held by Kenya’s Daniel Komen. (Two miles is not an official distance for world records.)

The night was capped by Girma, 22, of Ethiopia. His time of 7:52.11 in the steeple broke the record of 7:53.63 held by Qatar’s Saif Saaeed Shaheen since 2004.

Girma had broken Komen’s 25-year-old indoor 3,000 record on Feb. 15. He was nearly 18 seconds ahead of runner-up Ryuji Miura, who set a Japanese record of 8:09.91.

The record trifecta upstaged a long-awaited season debut by Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. The 23-year-old American, who set a world record in the 400 hurdles at last year’s World Championships, faded after a fast 300 meters and was decisively beaten in the 400 by Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic.

Paulino clocked 49.12 to McLaughlin-Levrone’s PB of 49.71.

“Obviously, things to clean up,” McLaughlin-Levrone said. “For 2023, I’d say that’s a good start.”

It was the first 5K in eight years for Kipyegon, who has two Olympic gold medals and two world titles at 1,500 meters. She ran the last 1,000 meters in 2:43, last 400 in 61.1 and last 200 in 28.7.

Ejgayehu Taye, also of Ethiopia, finished third in 14:13.31. American Alicia Monson was eighth in 14:34.88 and British miler Laura Muir 11th in 14:48.14.

Kipyegon said she was not thinking about a world record.

“I’m emotional right now,” she said. “I don’t know what to say. This was amazing, running a world record again.”

In the two-mile, Ingebrigtsen beat second-place Ishmael Kipkurui by 15 seconds -- more than 100 meters. Paul Chelimo was fifth in 8:15.09.

Ingebrigtsen, the reigning Olympic gold medalist at 1,500 meters, said he knew he was on pace but added: “You never know when it’s going to hit you in the face.”

 Unfathomably, his time was 3:52.2 from 1,600 to 3,200 meters.

“It tells me exactly where I’m at, at the moment, how good I am as a runner,” he said. “A lot of good answers.”

In other men’s events:

>> World champion Grant Holloway ran to a world lead of 12.98 in the 110 hurdles, beating France’s Just Kwaou-Mathey, 13.09. Americans Jamal Britt and Daniel Roberts were third and fourth, both in 13.14. Devon Allen, coming off a recent 13.12, fell in his semifinal and did not finish.

>> Noah Lyles beat Kenya’s Fred Omanyala in the 100 meters, 9.97 to 9.98. Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs, after pulling out of earlier meets, was seventh in 10.21.

>> CJ Allen continued his breakthrough season by clocking 47.92 in the 400 hurdles, just .01 off his PB. It was his first Diamond League victory. World bronze medalist Travor Bassitt was third in 48.28.

>> Emmanuel Wanyonyi, an 18-year-old Kenyan, edged Canada's Marco Arop to win the 800 in a world-leading 1:43.27. Arop clocked 1:43.30 in a race in which seven men were in the 1:43s.

In other women’s events:

>> Keely Hodgkinson, in her outdoor opener, won the 800 and broke her own British record with a time of 1:55.77, fastest in the world this year, making her the No. 25 all-time competitor. She was far ahead of Ajee' Wilson, second in 1:58.14. Nine women ran under 2 minutes, with Raevyn Rogers 10th in 2:00.00.

>> Anna Hall, coming off a score of 6,988 points in the heptathlon, tested herself against specialists. She was eighth in the high jump at 6-3.25 (1.91m), just a centimeter off a PB, and ran a PB of 50.82 to place seventh in the 400.

>> Gabby Thomas won the 200 in 22.05, third in the world this year and fastest by an American. Abby Steiner was second in 22.34.

>> Australia’s Nina Kennedy won the pole vault at 15-7.25 (4.77m), second in the world this year. Americans Katie Moon (15-5.50/4.71m), Sandi Morris (15-1.50/4.61m) and Emily Grove (15-1.50/4.61m) finished 3-5-6. Moon, reigning Olympic and world champion, vaulted 15-9.25 (4.81) on May 5 at Doha.

>> Another Australian, high jumper Nicola Olyslagers, leaped 6-6.75 (2.00m) for one centimeter off the world lead. Vashti Cunningham was second at 6-5.50 (1.97m).

>> Reigning Olympic gold medalist Valarie Allman broke her own meet record with a discus throw of 226-6 (69.04m). She exceeded 68 meters (223 feet) on two other attempts and won by nearly four meters over two-time Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic of Croatia (213-10/65.18m).

>> Auriol Dongmo of Portugal beat world champion Chase Ealey and world leader Maggie Ewen in the shot put. Dongmo threw 64-8.50 (19.72m) to Ealey’s 63-9 (19.43m) and Ewen’s 63-2.25 (19.26m). Ewen seized the world lead with 67-1.25 (20.45m) on May 27 at the Los Angeles Grand Prix at UCLA.

Contact David Woods at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.