World Athletics
The World indoor champion Ayanleh Souleiman sets a new Djibouti mile record with a world leading time of 3:47.32 at the 40th Prefontaine Classic – IAAF Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday.
Ayanleh Souleiman’s time, which makes him the 10th-fastest performer in history, broke the IAAF Diamond League record of 3:49.09 set by Kenya’s Haron Keitany at this meeting in 2011, and the meeting record of 3:48.28 run by Daniel Kipchirchir Komen of Kenya in 2007.
“My dream was 3:47 or 3:48,” said the 21-year-old Souleiman, who won 800m bronze at last summer’s World Championships. “I’m happy today.”
Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop looked strong early, running behind the pacemaker in second place through 800m of the Bowerman Mile race.
After the pacemaker stepped off on the bell lap, Kenya’s Silas Kiplagat surged three meters into the lead approaching the final curve. Kiprop covered the move but could not stave off the hard-charging Souleiman, who flew into the lead and never looked back.
Kiplagat finished second in a personal best of 3:47.88. Aman Wote finished third in an Ethiopian record of 3:48.60, while Asbel Kiprop faded all the way to seventh in 3:50.26.
“I was expecting to run close to 3:47 and unfortunately it wasn’t my day,” Kiprop said. “I don’t know. I wasn’t comfortable. In the last 200m I wasn’t responding. I think this is due to that we came from the World Relays last weekend and came straight here.”
In ninth place, SA’s Johan Cronje also sets a new South African record of 3:50.70.
In other events, Kenya’s Hellen Obiri sprinted to victory in a world-leading 3:57.05 to win the women’s 1500m breaking her own US all-comers’ record of 3:58.58 established at this meeting last year.
“I came here looking to run faster than my personal best from last year, which was 3:58, so I am so happy,” she said. “I like this stadium because it has been good to me. Last year I had a PB here. This year I had another PB here.”
Abeba Aregawi of Sweden finished second – ending a winning streak in the 1500m that dated back to August 2012 – in a season’s best of 3:57.57, pushing her leading total in the Diamond Race to six points. Faith Kipyegon, Obiri’s Kenyan relay teammate, moved up a spot down the straight and finished third in 3:58.01.
Ethiopia’s Sofia Assefa shaved two seconds off Milcah Chemos’s meeting record and nearly eight seconds off the world-leading time in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, winning in an impressive 9:11.39.
Hiwot Ayalew of Ethiopia was second in a season’s best of 9:12.89 and USA’s Emma Coburn lowered her personal best to 9:17.84 in a third-place finish.
In the men’s 800m, Nijel Amos of Botswana sprinted to victory in a world-leading 1:43.63 to break the meeting record of 1:43.68 set in 2011 by Abubaker Kaki of Sudan.
Ethiopia’s Mohammed Aman, the fastest 800m runner in the world in 2013, finished second in 1:43.99 while Kaki finished third in 1:44.09. Kenya’s World record-holder David Rudisha finished in seventh-place in 1:44.87.
