ATHLETICS: Kenya’s Chebet says she missed the world record in Zurich due to cold; Duplantis and Warholm both trashed after 100 m race

No one close to Kenya's Beatrice Chebet in her world-record try at 5,000 m in Zurich (Photo: Diamond League AG)

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≡ SCENE & HEARD ≡

Conditions at Thursday’s Weltklasse Zurich were not ideal, with temperatures in the low 60s and rain during the meet. The enthusiasm of the crowd in the Letzigrund Stadium was hardly dulled, but it impacted the competition.

Kenya’s Olympic women’s 5,000 and 10,000 m gold medalist, Beatrice Chebet was aiming at the impressive 14:00.21 world record in the women’s 5,000 m by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay in 2023. But it was not to be as she won decisively in 14:09.52, fastest in the world for 2024:

“I ran the world-leading time, the weather is not favorable for a world record. It was good to run, I just want to thank God. I really wanted to run the world record, but I missed it, this is due to the weather. And the pacemaker was supposed to pace until 3000 m. But she dropped off earlier.

“I used a lot of energy to push. It was not easy. Today, I just want to say thank you to the audience and to the fans. I am over the moon that I ran a world-leading time. I was not tired in the second half of the race.

“I got somebody´s spikes onto my leg at the beginning of the race, now it is bleeding. I will do Brussels [the Diamond League final]; I will have to talk to my coach about another attempt for the world record. I guess I do not have the world record in my legs anymore for 2024. Next year.”

(Kate Snowden (GBR) paced the first 1,200 m at 3:22.4 and Georgia Griffith (AUS) paced to 2,000 m (5:37.2), then retired.)

One winner who was thrilled was American 100 m hurdles star Grant Holloway, who won in 13.02, then saw his time re-read down to 12.99! He said:

“I did not react well to the gun but that is track and field so I had to accelerate in the finish. The main thing for me was to run the most sub-13s and I did that so it is surreal. Nobody had ever done that many sub 13s, ever. And now, I am on the top of that list so I am pleased.

“That was something I wanted to accomplish this season. I just kept trying and trying and trying for so long. So to run 12.99 just feels great. We will see what happens about Brussels. I am looking forward to it. Lets see what is next to come but right now, I am very excited about this one. The crowd here is remarkable. And to run 99 in these conditions, it is great.

“I follow the stats, I think that is what keeps me motivated. I have to keep that mindset that I still have something to achieve. It has been a great year and I want to thank my team what stands behind me.”

Holloway now has 12 sub-13 clockings (with legal wind), with a 12.81, 12.86, 12.92, 12.96 (x3), 12.98 (x3) and 12.99 (x3); the rest of the top five:

11: Allen Johnson (USA, 1992-2010)
8: Aries Merritt (USA, 2004-21)
8: Dayron Robles (CUB, 2003-17)
6: Xiang Liu (CHN, 1999-2012)

Wednesday’s hyped-up 100 m match race between friends Karsten Warholm (NOR) and vault star Mondo Duplantis (SWE) took a lot of out of both.

● Warholm did not start for the men’s 400 m hurdles on Thursday, saying:

“I am actually a bit sad about that I could not run. I would have loved to be in this race. But I felt my hamstring a little bit after the race yesterday. I tried to do a little bit of a warm-up today but I did not sprint properly and then it is not worth to risk.

“I am going to go home and check but despite the fact that it does not feel well today, I do not think it is a serious thing. We just need to check it and see what it is. So for now, maybe it was the last race of the season but we will see.

“I hope the bet [with Mondo] is done by now. I will wear this [Sweden] jersey and people will take pictures and make fun of me. But I hope that I can leave this behind me. Because I do not want to make a fool of myself twice.”

● Duplantis did compete and won the vault, in the much-less-than-perfect conditions at 5.82 m (19-1):

“Mentally, I felt kind of good today. But my body felt wrecked after yesterday´s race. Plus, the weather was really cold. So that was a bad combination.

“The sprint yesterday was very impressive. For both of us it was a great experience. It was super amazing. I think we built a super event, it was very new and innovative. And for just being a pre-event show for today. I do not see why there could not be more events like this. Today, it was really fun.”

It is different, competing after the high and the pressure of the Olympic Games:

● Said American Yared Nuguse, who won the men’s 1,500 m in 3:29.21: “This race was so highly anticipated and I knew that it was going to be quick in the end. Everyone could have gotten this race. I am glad I was still able to win.

“From the beginning, I just tried like not to do any wrong move and to be where I wanted to be And then you need to be ready for the end. It is definitely a lot less stressful.

“The Olympics were like huge milestone and when you got over it, it just felt like fun racing. It is so much more fun running with these guys today. I will hopefully have the Brussels Diamond League final, and I cannot wait to go home to see my family, my friends, and I will go for vacation.

“After today, I will hopefully go for another win. I really want this Diamond League trophy. After the Olympics, I think my life will change for better. Getting the medal at the Olympics just gave me more self-confidence in who I am and now I know what I can achieve. I mean, nothing has really changed but the way how I feel about myself has changed. So definitely, it is a positive thing.”

● Greece’s two-time Olympic men’s long jump champ Miltiadis Tentoglou was not as happy after a second-place 8.02 m (26-3 3/4):

“I had zero motivation to jump today. It has been a long season and in these conditions, it was hard. I have nothing to prove; I am the Olympic champion, I do not need points, I do not need anything, so what I needed is a good result, if there are good conditions.

“But coming here, I knew it was going to be like this. So zero motivation for me. If anybody beats me now, I am like: I do not care. At least, I am pleased with the 8 m jump; I did not miss my series. Like for two years now, I always jump at least 8 m in the competition. So at least, I did not lose that.

“About Brussels, I will see. I do not know now. I do not care about the money. Today, it was raining and I had to wait ten minutes because they told me that there is no camera and I had to wait. I should have jumped but had to wait like ten minutes in these conditions.”

Italy’s European men’s shot champ Leonardo Fabbri finished second to world-record holder Ryan Crouser of the U.S., at 21.86 m (71-8 3/4) and saw in Zurich what could be in Italy:

“The crowd is beautiful; it was nice that many people were cheering for me. We need to perform well and achieve medals to attract more crowds in Italy. Unfortunately, they just follow soccer and they watch athletics only during the Olympics.

“But things are changing a little bit and we just need to perform well at the world championships, and I am sure that the stadium will be full again.”

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