IAAF Diamond League: Asbel Kiprop chase world record tonight
Athletics
By
JONATHAN KOMEN
| Jul 15, 2016
Three-time world 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop targets the world record at the ninth stop of the IAAF Diamond League series in Monaco, France, at 10:35pm tonight.
Asbel, who has a 3:26.69 personal best, wants to attack world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj's record of 3:26.00 at the Herculis meeting at the Stade Louis II, which has turned into another temple of the men’s 1,500m brilliant shows.
He has recorded his season’s best at this meeting over the past four years, the slowest of which was 3:28.88 and the fastest being his personal best of 3:26.69.
His 3:26.69 solo run in Monaco last year moved him up to third, after Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj and USA's Bernard Lagat (3:26.34), on the world all-time list and was just 0.69 shy of the world record.
Asbel, who is among four world champions invited for the meet, said: “I have trained well for the race. I expect a good race.”
He will take on Britain’s double Olympic champion Mo Farah (3:28.81), world silver medalist Elijah Manangoi (3:29.67), Diamond League specialist Bethwel Birgen (3:30.77) and world junior record holder Ronald Kwemoi (3:28.81).
Fireworks are expected in the men’s two-lap race when world junior 800m champion Alfred Kipketer, winner at the Olympic national trials in Eldoret, battles Bostwana’s Olympic silver medalist Nijel Amos (1:41.73).
They will duck it out with youngsters Jonathan Kitilit (1:43.48) and Nicholas Kiplang’at (1:43.37).
But the 3,000m steeplechase could produce a lukewarm performance as Kenya’s world-beating stars sharpen their skills at the High Performance Training Centre (HPTC) in Eldoret –except two-time world silver medalist Conseslus Kipruto and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist Paul Kipsiele Koech (7:54.31).
Kipruto and Kipsiele will lead Abraham Kiplagat (8:09.25), Benjamin Kiplagat (8:03.81) and Lawrence Kemboi (8:17.79).
Barnabas Kipyego (8:10.11), John Koech (8:09.62) Sebastian Martos (8:18.3) and Bernard Ng’ang’a (8:05.8) are also in the mix.
There are fascinating clashes in the women’s 800m race where three Rio Olympics favourites – South Africa’s Caster Semenya (1:55.45), Burundi’s Francine Niyonsaba (1:56.59) and world junior 800m champion Margaret Nyairera (1:57.52 – are in contention.
Commonwealth Games silver medalist Lynsey Sharp (1:57.71) of Scotland and Ethiopia’s Habitan Alemu (1:59.14) are also itching for glory.
Commonwealth Games 5,000m champion Mercy Cherono will lead the 3,000m onslaught alongside former world indoor champion Hellen Obiri and former Africa cross country silver medalist Janet Kisa.
South Africa’s 400m star Wayde Van Niekerk will be making his Herculis debut. The South African won the world title in Beijing last year in an African record of 43.48, moving to fourth on the world all-time list.
Three-time Diamond Race winner Piotr Malachowski will also be in Monaco. The world discus champion from Poland was victorious in Monaco in 2014, the last time the discus was held at the Stade Louis II.
Canada’s world high jump champion Derek Drouin will be competing at Herculis for the third time in his career.