Triple world record holder Faith Kipyegon proved a hard nut to crack after producing a superb display to storm to her fourth career Diamond Trophy victory during the final of the Diamond League Meeting in Eugene, USA on Saturday.
The double world champion ensured she closed an incredible track season by running the fifth-fastest 1500m of all time. The Kenyan star, who broke three world records this summer, pulled clear on the penultimate lap and stretched her lead on the last to finish just outside her own 1500m record.
Kipyegon, 29, won in a time of 3:50.72 for her fourth Diamond League title, with Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji second (3:53.93) and Britain’s Olympic silver medallist Laura Muir finished third in 3:55.16 – her second-fastest time, after the one she ran to win silver at Tokyo 2020. They were followed by Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu in a PB of 3:55.68 and Australia’s Linden Hall in an Oceanian record of 3:56.92.
Kipyegon was always to the fore, and she followed closely as the pacemaker went through 800m in 2:05.26. Pushing on, she passed 1200m in 3:06.07 before finishing strongly in the second-quickest time of her career. Speaking after the race, Kipyegon said: “I didn’t watch the clock, I was just running my race to see what will happen at the finish line,” adding: “So it was amazing, to run a meeting record is just fantastic. Starting with the world record and now winning the trophy, it has been a fantastic year for me and I really thank god for that.”
Despite concluding her races in the track this season, Kipyegon isn’t done for the year and she will now turn her attention to the World Athletics Road Running Championships Riga 23, where she will contest her first-ever road race – in the mile – on October 1.
Meanwhile, African record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala was beaten to third in the men’s 100m. The race was claimed by USA’s 2019 world champion Christian Coleman, who equalled the world lead he already shared with Noah Lyles and Zharnel Hughes by running 9.83 while Lyles, who won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m at the World Championships in Budapest, was second and Omanyala coming third as they both ran 9.85.