Beatrice Chebet and Mary Moraa emerged winners in their respective races during the Zurich Diamond League on Thursday, September 5, 2024.
The night action saw Chebet, the Olympic medallist in Paris, France, race to victory in the 5000m while Moraa stamped her authority in the 800m.
Meanwhile, when Gudaf Tsegay set her world 5000m record of 14:00.21 last year in Eugene, she passed 3000m in 8:26.03, according to World Athletics. Chebet got there in Zurich at 8:25.77, at that point though, the Kenyan had already been out on her own for two laps.
Chebet however slowed down to a world-leading 14:09.52 but it was still a meeting record by some distance as she ended up shattering Vivian Cheruiyot’s 14:30.10 from 2011.
Her record in Zurich is seventh fastest 5000m of all time.
“I really wanted to run the world record but the pacemaker dropped out earlier than planned. It was not easy after that,” Chebet noted.
In the second place, world 10,000m bronze medallist Ejgayehu Taye clocked 14:28.76, with fellow Ethiopian Tsigie Gebreselama third in 14:39.05.
Meanwhile, Moraa reigned supreme in the 800m, pulling clear in the home straight and crossing the line in 1:57.08. This comes after she won the 600m with a world best of 1:21.63 in Berlin on Sunday.
Britain’s Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Georgia Bell finished in second place in 1:57.94, with Addison Wiley of the US third in 1:58.16, ahead of Britain’s world indoor silver medallist Jemma Reekie who clocked 1:58.49.
Finally, Botswana’s Olympic golden boy Letsile Tebogo produced another of his grandstand finishes to pip Paris runner-up Kenny Bednarek by 0.02 in 19.55 (0.4m/s) in the 200m.
The silver lining for the US sprinter this time was a personal best, 19.57, with US teammate Erriyon Knighton third in 19.79 and Fred Kerley fourth in 19.81.
