Kipyegon Set to Take on 5,000m Challenge at Paris Diamond League

Fresh off her remarkable performance in Florence, Italy, where she achieved a record-breaking feat, two-time Olympic and world champion Faith Kipyegon is eager to maintain her exceptional form as she competes against a strong field at the Paris Diamond League on Friday.

In a surprising move, Kipyegon has chosen to compete in the women’s 5,000m event instead of her usual speciality, the 1,500m.

This decision reflects her desire to explore new distances and test herself against top-notch competition in the discipline.

One of her main opponents in the 12-and-a-half-lap race will be the world 10,000m record holder and reigning champion, Letsenbet Gidey from Ethiopia. With such high-calibre competition, Kipyegon is likely to surpass her personal best time of 14:31.95, which she set back in 2017 in Paris.

Gidey has consistently demonstrated her ability to deliver fast times, and this race in the French capital presents a great opportunity for her to showcase her prowess, especially as it marks her debut appearance at the event.

Ejghayehu Tiaye, another formidable Ethiopian athlete, cannot be overlooked, as she recorded the world’s best time of 14:12.95 in 2022 and held the world 5km record at 14:19.

However, the race favourites will need to keep up with the pace set by the three pacesetters, including Beatrice Chepkoech, who holds the world record in the 3,000m steeplechase with a time of 8:44.32.

Meanwhile, world 800m champion Emmanuel Korir aims to demonstrate his dominance in the two-lap race, facing strong competitors such as Djamel Sedjati from Algeria and Marco Arop from Canada.

The sprint category will feature renowned athletes like Marie-Josée Ta Lou from Ivory Coast, who joins an already impressive lineup in the 200m event, including British athlete Dina Asher-Smith and American sprinter Abby Steiner.

Yohan Blake, a well-known name in the world of sprints, will be seeking to recapture his past glory, competing alongside Italian sensation Marcell Jacobs and American speedster Noah Lyles.

In the women’s race, American athlete Sydney McLaughlin faces a tough challenge against Dominican sprinter Marileidy Paulino, who boasts an impressive time of 48.99, and Bahraini athlete Salwa Eid Naser, the reigning world champion in 2019.