The sixth IAAF Diamond League meeting at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, England, on Sunday evening laid ground for fascinating clashes at the national trials set for end of this month.
The meet saw eight stadium records and six world leads, three from Kenyans — David Rudisha, Asbel Kiprop and Conseslus Kipruto — fall even as Britain’s four-time world champion Mo Farah set a world leading time of 7:32.62 in 3,000m.
Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha, who was reeling from a fifth-place finish in the Shanghai meet, summoned his typical front running performance to smash his own stadium record, narrowly missing the world record.
Rudisha, one of the three traffic police Chief Inspectors in Eldoret, said;
“I am happy with the performance. I have nothing to complain about since this race was of great significance to my Olympic preparations. I wish I had run a little faster though. I did not run 400m this season in Australia before running 600m here. I am picking on well and look forward for the national trials.”
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He will make his maiden appearance at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Stockholm, Sweden, on June 16.
Three-time world 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop made steady progress in his bid to equal Morroco’s world record holder and four-time world champion, Hicham El Guerrouj.
Asbel posted his third straight win in a world leading and meet record time of 3:29.33 and consolidated his IAAF Diamond League Trophy points to 20.
He said: “I want to emulate Morroco’s Hicham El Guerrouj, the four-time world champion and world record holder at 3:26.00.”
Silas Kiplagat, the 2011 world silver medallist, who met Asbel for the 37th time, faded to seventh place in 3:35.52, while Commonwealth Games champion James Magut, a previous winner in Birmingham, returned fifth in what would leave Athletics Kenya coaches guessing on who will offer meaningful challenge in the trials.
Mo Farah gave the Birmingham crowd the grand finale they craved as he broke David Moorcroft’s 34-year-old British 3000m record to send the crowd into raptures.
But a showdown between Commonwealth Games 5,000m champion Mercy Cherono, a runner-up in Doha in 3,000m, and world 10,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot will extend to the national selections even as all eyes are on Ethiopia’s world 5,000m champion Almaz Ayana, who has Doha (3,000m), Rabat and Rome wins.
The two will meet Janet Kisa, who finished fifth in Doha, fourth in Rabat and third in Birmingham and two-time Viola Kibiwott, second in Eugene, in the chase for Rio slots.
Vivian, who finished third in Eugene, said she wants enough time ahead of her Olympic preparations.
“I am going home for trials. I need to do more training back home, especially long runs along Flax and Nyaru road and climb the three-kilometre stretch near Kapletingi area. That’s where I do my hill work.”
