Chepkoech wins Diamond League meeting in Zurich

Kenya's Beatrice Chepkoech wins the 3000M Women's Steeplechase [Courtesy]

World 3,000m steeplechase record holder Beatrice Chepkoech led a podium sweep for Kenya at the Weltklasse Zurich on Thursday night, where the first 16 IAAF Diamond League winners of 2019 were crowned.

Chepkoech won in an impressive 9:01.71 after a solo run. Olympic silver medalist Hyvin Kiyeng (9:03.83) and Africa champion Norah Jeruto (9:05.15) followed. The performance should inspire the Kenyan team at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, on September 28 to October 6.

Gesa Felicitas Krause, who finished fourth, shaved off more than two seconds from her own German record, clocking 9:07.51.

But America’s Donovan Brazier produced the finest finish of the night thanks to his sensational victory in 800m.

The 22-year-old US champion was a distant sixth with just over half a lap to go, well behind world leader Nijel Amos, who tried to steal the race from the bell.

Pacesetter Harun Abda brought the field through the half in a quick 48.23, closely shadowed by Amos who took command when the pacer stepped off the track. Only Kenya’s Emmanuel Korir gave chase initially but proved no match for Amos who entered the final straight with his trademark grimace splashed across his face.

But behind him, Brazier feverishly made up the deficit, pulling himself into contention with about 50 metres remaining before pulling ahead for good in the final 10 metres. His 1:42.70 performance was his first foray into sub 1:43 territory and was just 0.10 shy of Johnny Gray’s North American record set in 1985, 12 years before Brazier was born.

Amos held on for second clocking 1:42.98 with Canadian Brandon McBride third in 1:43.51.

Joshua Cheptegei followed suit in similar fashion in 5,000m, leading for the final kilometre and eventually holding off a three-pronged Ethiopian and Kenyan attack en route to a 12:57.41 win, a lifetime best for the Ugandan.

Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet was second in 12:58.15 and Kenyan Nicholas Kipkorir Kimeli third in 12:59.05.

Miller-Uibo’s explosive performance was followed by a thriller in the women’s 1,500m, where long-time rivals Genzebe Dibaba, the world record-holder in 1,500m, and Sifan Hassan, freshly-minted world record-holder in the mile, squared off for the third time this year.

Performance of all time

Dibaba held sway well into the final lap when Hassan took command with just over 200 metres remaining. The Dutchwoman forged on and pulled away to collect the win in 3:57.08.

Behind her, Konstanze Klosterhalfen closed strong, finishing second in 3:59.02, a season’s best, while drafting Gabriela Debues-Stafford to third in 3:59.59, another national record for the rising Canadian star.

Karsten Warholm produced the second-fastest 400m hurdles performance of all time. With Warholm, the world leader at 47.12, facing off against Rai Benjamin, the equal third-fastest man of all time, for the first time, the battle was billed as the face-off of the evening. And it lived up to that lofty billing in every imaginable way.

As is now his trademark, Warholm went out strong, jumping to an early lead, forcing Benjamin to either follow or hold back. He seemed to do both over the first 300 metres, catching the Norwegian as the pair entered the final straight. Approaching hurdle nine, Warholm stutter-stepped badly, giving Benjamin an opening to narrow the gap. He did, but Warholm powered on again to rediscover his rhythm on the way to the final barrier, once again chiselling together a lead he held through the finish, stopping the clock in 46.92 to become the third man to crack the 47-second barrier. 

Behind him, Benjamin became the fourth, tying Abderrahman Samba as the third fastest of all-time in 46.98. Before this year, to run under 47 seconds and lose seemed unfathomable. With the trio of Warholm, Benjamin and Samba still arguably reaching their peak, sub-47 performances could become commonplace.

“It was crazy,” said Warholm, who entered the season with a 47.64 best. “I knew that I would run a good time but this race was just amazing. And the best is yet to come.” Kyron McMaster was a distant third.