Obiri to battle Dibaba in Rome

Scotland's Laura Muir, Kenya's Hellen Onsando Obirim and Kenya's Faith Chepngetich Kibiegon compete in the final of the women's 1500m athletics event at Hampden Park during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland on July 29, 2014. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNIS

At exactly 10:40pm, the athletics world will come to a standstill as women’s 5000m showpiece gets underway at the fourth stop of the IAAF Diamond League in Rome, Italy, tonight.

The 37th edition of the Golden Gala Pietromennea – dedicated to Italia’s former Olympic and world 200m record holder Pietro Mennea who died in 2013 – sets for hair-raising action as Olympic 5000m silver medalist Hellen Obiri battles Ethiopia’s track assassin Genzebe Dibaba, who has put the world 5000m record held by her elder sister Tirunesh Dibaba (14:11.15) in her cross hairs.