Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon (1500m and 5000m) and Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma (3000m steeplechase) made athletics’ history by setting new world records in these events.
Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon broke the 5,000m world record on Friday June 9, 2023 in Paris, just a week after having already broken the 1,500m record in Florence. In 14'05''20, Kipyegon (29) improved the time of Ethiopia ’s Letesenbet Gidey (14'06''62 in 2020), ranking second in the race on Friday evening (14'07''94).
Training partner of the marathon king, Eliud Kipchoge, Kipyegon succeeded to break two records in two different events in one week, after clocking 3:49.11 last Friday in Florence over 1500m.
Indeed, aiming to break the 1,500m world record, held since July 2015 by Genzebe Didaba (3'50"07), the Kenyan, double Olympic champion and double world champion, had performed a perfect race, far ahead of the British Laura Muir (3'57"09) and Australian Jessica Hull (3'57"29).
A few tens of minutes after the Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon, who broke the world record in the 5,000m, Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma achieved a remarkable performance. In 7'52'11, he broke the world record of 3000 m steeplechase, which dated from 2004 and was held by Qatari Saif Saaeed Shaheen.
Already holder of the world record of 3,000m indoor since his mythical race this winter in Liévin against Mohamed Katir, Lamecha Girma did it again in Paris but with barriers. Olympic and world vice-champion of 3,000m steeplechase, the Ethiopian added another world record to a crazy evening in Charléty.
