Justin Lagat wrote this piece on Rabat DL and noted the 800ms, the 1,500ms and of course, the steeplechase! Kenya has owned this event for years. Justin is a bit worried about that!
It was a sheer battle down the last straight between Wale, Beyo and Kigen but in the end Wale timed it perfectly and took the win in 8:06.01 PB WL NR!#RabatDL 🇲🇦 #DiamondLeague pic.twitter.com/ylyJOT3wJO
-- IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) June 16, 2019
Getnet Wale and Chala Beyo make it 1-2 for Ethiopians in the men's 3000m Steeplechase at the Rabat Diamond League meeting
After the Rabat Diamond League meeting had ended, someone just posted on FaceBook; "when did the Ethiopians start winning the men's 3000m steeplechase races?!"
Well, perhaps their supremacy has just started at the Rabat Diamond League race last night, as they took the first two places with Getnet Wale running a world-leading time, national record and personal best time of 8:06.01 to win the race ahead of Chala Beyo who finished second also in a personal best time of 8:06.48. Kenya's Benjamin Kigen tried hard, but his finishing kick could not allow him to catch the two Ethiopians as he finished third in 8:07.25.
Results for the men's 3,000m SC:
-- IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) June 16, 2019
1 Getnet WALE 🇪🇹 8:06.01 PB WL NR
2 Chala BEYO 🇪🇹 8:06.48 PB
3 @benjaminkigen 🇰🇪 8:07.25#RabatDL 🇲🇦 #DiamondLeague #RoadToTheFinal pic.twitter.com/cSHK3zUcFN
The main story here is not that the Kenyans were beaten in their favorite race, but rather that one of the runners that have been seen as the biggest threat to Kenya's dominance; Soufiane El Bakkali was beaten to 11th position at his own home ground.
This year, the men's 3000m steeplechase event looks more open than it perhaps has ever been, given that there is no one runner who seems to be showing any form of dominance so far.
With the women's 1500m, Genzebe Dibaba continues to be the woman to watch here as she ran yet another world leading time and a new meeting record of 3:55.47 to win her second 1500m Diamond League race this year. Sifan Hassan staged a spirited fight to finish second in a national record and a personal best time of 3:55.93. Tsegay Gudaf registered a personal best time of 3:57.40 in third place.
Results for the women's 1,500m:
-- IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) June 16, 2019
1 @GenzebeD 🇪🇹 3:55.47 WL MR
2 @SifanHassan 🇳🇱 3:55.93 NR PB
3 Gudaf TSEGAY 🇪🇹 3:57.40 PB#RabatDL 🇲🇦 #DiamondLeague #RoadToTheFinal pic.twitter.com/Nq1lm1fSOC
Nelly Jepkosgei finally got to win her first diamond league race in the women's 800m having finished 4th in Doha and 3rd in Stockholm with her finish times this year consistently under two minutes in the event. Her winning time here was 1:59.50 ahead of Habitam Alemu's 1:59:90 in second and Olha Lyakhova's 2:00.35 in third.
Results for the women's 800m:
-- IAAF Diamond League (@Diamond_League) June 16, 2019
1 Nelly JEPKOSGEI 🇰🇪1:59.50
2 @HabitamAlemu 🇪🇹 1:15.90
3 Olha LYAKHOVA 🇺🇦 2:00.35#RabatDL 🇲🇦 #DiamondLeague #RoadToTheFinal pic.twitter.com/ohyn6q9Iv8
Nijel Amos seemed to have perfected his strong finishing style in the men's 800m race having first used it a number of times in the past to upset the world record holder, David Rudisha starting from around 2013. He used it to overtake Emmanuel Korir in the home straight to win the race in 1:45.57 against Korir's 1:45.60. Clayton Murphy finished third in 1:45.99. Except for the surprise upset from Donavan Brazier in Rome, no one else has managed to beat Nijel this year.
Nijel Amos, photo by PhotoRun.net
Vincent Kibet won the non-diamond league men's 1500m race in a sprint finish edging Morocco's Hicham AkanKam to win it in 3:35.80 against 3:35.85 for Akankam. Alexis Miellet finished 3rd in 3:35.98.
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