Kenyan sensation Faith Kipyegon broke her third world record in two months in the Diamond League on Friday; Kipyegon broke the 1500m record last month and set a new 5000m record just over a week later; Laura Muir also set a new British women's mile record, smashing a 38-year-old record
Monday 24 July 2023 09:41, UK
Kenya's Faith Kipyegon shattered the women's mile world record by almost five seconds at the Monaco Diamond League on Friday.
The 29-year-old completed the race in four minutes, 7.64 seconds to smash Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan's 2019 mark of 4:12.33.
It continued an amazing season for Kipyegon, the multiple Olympic and world 1500m champion, who set a new 1500m world record in Florence in June, and a new 5000m record in Paris nine days later.
The previous mile record, by Hassan, was set at the same venue, the Stade Louis II in Monaco, in the Diamond League four years ago.
Kristie Schoffield of the United States and Uganda's Winnie Nanyondo both failed to finish but executed their role as pacemakers well, and when Kipyegon left the second of them behind with 600m to go she was already showing world record pace.
Kipyegon was close to her own 1500m world record as she seared round the home turn, and her trademark finishing kick saw her cross the line more than four and a half seconds inside the existing world record pace.
"I have done good training so far and I just came for it," Kipyegon said. "The time - yes, it was really good because the race was well planned. It just went smoothly and to accomplish the world record - that is amazing."
Laura Muir smashed Zola Budd's 38-year-old British women's mile record as Kenya's Faith Kipyegon added yet another world record to her collection at the Diamond League in Monaco.
Muir finished fourth in a race of extraordinary quality, her personal-best time of 4:15.24 eclipsing Budd's mark, set at the Zurich Weltklasse meeting, by over two seconds.
The Republic of Ireland's Ciara Mageean broke Sonia O'Sullivan's long-standing national record with 4:14.58 in second ahead of Ethiopia's Freweyni Hailu in an event where, of the runners who finished the race, only third-placed Hailu failed to record a personal best time.
Jessica Hull set an Australian record in fifth and Nikki Hiltz of the United States set a North American best in sixth ahead of a second Brit running a personal best, Melissa Courtney-Bryant, who crossed the line in 4:16.38
Elsewhere, British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith set a season's best of 22.23 as she finished third in an encouraging women's 200m behind Jamaica's world champion Shericka Jackson, who claimed her fourth win from four this year in a time of 21.86.
