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Today history was made in the Monaco Diamond League meet that featured Genzebe Dibaba’s world record 1500-metre run in the time of 3:50.07. The previous world record was held by China’s Qu Yunxia 1993 performance of 3:50.46, once considered unbeatable, suspect and potentially drug-aided.
Part of the reason the Yunxia performance was considered potentially drug-aided was because there were a few other Chinese, one-off, strangely fast performances during that time. As per below, note four of them took place during the same meet, while Yunxia’s performance happened during the same meet as Wang Junxia – another one off, all in China with only Chinese athletes:
3 Jiang Bo 3:50.98 CHN 13.03.77 18.10.1997
4 Lang Yinglai 3:51.34 CHN 22.08.79 18.10.1997
5 Wang Junxia 3:51.92 CHN 09.01.73 11.09.1993
6 Tatyana Kazankina 3:52.47 RUS 17.12.51 13.08.1980
7 Yin Lili 3:53.91 CHN 11.11.79 18.10.1997
8 Paula Ivan 3:53.96 ROU 20.07.63 01.10.1988
9 Lan Lixin 3:53.97 CHN 14.02.79 18.10.1997
10 Genzebe Dibaba 3:54.11 ETH 08.02.91 08.07.2015
Women’s results from today are below. Watch the race here.
Dibaba won by almost six seconds, which is an eternity in the 1500m. The Ethiopian’s next best time was from July 8th of this year where she ran 3:54.11, four seconds back, but a world lead time, until today. In fact her 3:54.11 is a decade-leading time. Meanwhile second place went to Sifan Hassan who was representing the Netherlands. Her 3:56.05 is a national record. So is America’s Shannon Rowbury’s 3:56.29 for third place.
American Jenny Simpson finished fourth in the time of 3:57.30, which is a seasons best, her personal best is 3:57.22. Simpson told Athletics Illustrated, “I knew the race would be quick up front and so I tried to put myself out there enough so that I could bridge the gap if Dibaba or Hassan started to fade. It was an exceptional run from them. I’m proud, after going out as fast as I did, of keeping composed and still running a solid race.”
The 2015 Beijing IAAF World Track and Field Championships are on all competitors’ radar, coming up in August. For Simpson, her goals are no different, “My primary focus for this season has always been the World Championships in Beijing. This race is an important step along the way to being successful there. Now I’ll go home for a month to focus my training on that goal,” She added.
Earlier in the day, Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop nearly took down the legendary Hicham El Gerrouj’s world record in the 1500m distance. He won the race in the time of 3:26.69. Gerrouj’s world record is 3:26.00. He also owns the second fastest time of 3:26.12 as well as the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth fastest times in history.
Other notable performances in the race include Nick Willis running a national record of 3:29.66. Meanwhile Canadian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot ran a personal best by over four seconds, which is also the fourth fastest Canadian time ever. His previous best was 3:38.33 from 2014. England’s Mo Farah came close to his European record that he set on the same track in 2013 at 3:28.81, by finishing in 3:28.93. Philibert-Thiboutot said, “Few words can describe how I feel now, after all the work that I put in the training. While there was a hint of this over the previous few years, never could I imagine me qualify for the Olympics… It is a surreal feeling.” His time was better than the Olympic standard by two seconds.
Men’s Results
1 KIPROP Asbel KEN 30 JUN 1989 14-1 3:26.69 WL MR
2 MAKHLOUFI Taoufik ALG 29 APR 1988 9-1 3:28.75 PB
3 IGUIDER Abdelaati MAR 25 MAR 1987 6-1 3:28.79 PB
4 FARAH Mo GBR 23 MAR 1983 11-1 3:28.93
5 WILLIS Nick NZL 25 APR 1983 13-1 3:29.66 AR
6 MANANGOI Elijah KEN 5 JAN 1993 10-1 3:29.67 PB
7 BIWOTT Robert KEN 28 JAN 1996 12-1 3:30.10 PB
8 WOTE Aman ETH 18 APR 1984 3-1 3:30.29 SB
9 CHEBOI Collins KEN 25 SEP 1987 7-1 3:30.34 PB
10 CENTROWITZ Matthew USA 18 OCT 1989 8-1 3:30.40 PB
11 AMDOUNI Morhad FRA 21 JUN 1988 1-1 3:34.05 PB
12 PHILIBERT-THIBOUTOT Charles CAN 31 OCT 1990 2-1 3:34.23 PB
13 MANZANO Leonel USA 12 SEP 1984 5-1 3:36.16 SB
14 INGEBRIGTSEN Henrik NOR 24 FEB 1991 4-1 3:38.35
KIVUVA Jackson Mumbwa KEN 11 AUG 1989 15-1 DNF
ROTICH Andrew Kiptoo KEN 24 DEC 1987 16-1 DNF
Women’s Results
1 DIBABA Genzebe ETH 8 FEB 1991 15-1 3:50.07 WR
2 HASSAN Sifan NED 1993 11-1 3:56.05 NR
3 ROWBURY Shannon USA 19 SEP 1984 6-1 3:56.29 AR
4 SIMPSON Jenny USA 23 AUG 1986 13-1 3:57.30 SB
5 MUIR Laura GBR 9 MAY 1993 9-1 3:58.66 PB
6 KOSTER Maureen NED 3 JUL 1992 5-1 3:59.79 PB
7 SADO Basu ETH 12 JAN 1996 8-1 4:00.65 PB
8 SHCHAGINA Anna RUS 7 DEC 1991 10-1 4:01.46 PB
9 ENNAOUI Sofia POL 30 AUG 1995 12-1 4:04.26 PB
10 MOSER Treniere USA 27 OCT 1981 3-1 4:04.55
11 GALLAGHER Kerri USA 31 MAY 1989 7-1 4:06.07
12 WEIGHTMAN Laura GBR 1 JUL 1991 2-1 4:06.36
13 EMBAYE Axumawit ETH 18 OCT 1994 4-1 4:09.12
14 BROWN Sarah USA 15 OCT 1986 1-1 4:09.17
PRICE Chanelle USA 22 AUG 1990 16-1 DNF
TVERDOSTUP Tamara UKR 17 JUL 1979 14-1 DNF
