Athletics
Kipyegon Eyes Third World Record at Monaco Diamond League
Faith Kipyegon, the double world record holder, will be the star attraction at the upcoming Diamond League meeting in Monaco on July 21st.
Kipyegon recently broke the 1500m world record at the Florence Diamond League on June 2nd and followed it up with another remarkable record in the 5000m in Paris a week later, becoming the first athlete in Diamond League history to break world records in two different disciplines on the circuit.
Originally slated to compete in the 1500m at the Monaco meeting, a schedule change has now placed Kipyegon in the mile (1.609 km) event instead. While the Diamond League points she accumulates will still count towards her 1500m qualification campaign, the mile presents a new challenge for Kipyegon, who last competed in the distance at a Diamond League meeting in Oslo back in 2016.
The Stade Louis II stadium in Monaco has a history of witnessing world records, including Kipyegon’s Dutch rival Sifan Hassan’s record-breaking run of 4:12.33 in 2019.
Could Kipyegon surpass that and claim her third world record of 2023? Regardless, she will unquestionably be the favourite when the world’s top athletes gather in Monaco on July 21st.
In other news, Beatrice Chepkoech, the world record holder in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, aims to continue her impressive form at the Lausanne Diamond League on Friday.
After finishing second in the 5000m at the Athletics Kenya National Championships, Chepkoech is returning to her speciality event as she prepares for next week’s AK trials.
She will face tough competition, including Uganda’s Olympic champion and Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Peruth Chemutai, as well as a strong Ethiopian contingent consisting of Abebe Mekides, Almayew Sembi, Lomi Muleta, and Wondemagegn Zerfe.
Mercy Moraa, the Commonwealth Games 800m champion, is also looking to make her mark in the two-lap race at the Lausanne Diamond League.
She will compete against top athletes such as Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson, Jamaica’s Natoya Goule, Ethiopia’s Alemu Hbaitan, and Switzerland’s Audrey Wero.