A good friend, Jeff, noted the following about Monaco:
“Great to have track back. However, this was a great meet placed in any year, not just in the year of the COVID.
– Donovan Brazier running a fast 800 pulling Bryce Hoppel to a sub 1:44.
– Cheruiyot went after it in the 1500 and ran a fantastic time, leading young Ingebrigsten and Wightman to PBs, all under 3:30.
– Obiri and Gidey running fast 5000s.
– Duplantis WR attempts in the vault.
– Sub 2:30 1K by Kipyegon.
-Warholm’s 47.10 was fantastic
-But, Cheptegai’s solo 12:35.36 had to be the highlight. The guy predicted it and made it happen. “
Noah Lyles takes 200m in 19.76 WL, photo by Getty Images / Monaco DL
Cheptegei gets in top fashion 5000 m World record
MONACO (MON, Aug 14): Athletics made up for lost time in style as this year’s first normal-style Wanda Diamond League EBS Herculis meeting was one of the best-ever in the series. The Monaco miracle worked again. Highlighted by a world record for Joshua Cheptegei at 5000m, 11 world leads were set in the 14 events in front of a socially-distanced 5000 crowd. Faith Kipyegon went to second on the all-time list at 1000m, while Karsten Warholm ran the eighth fastest in history. Hellen Obiri was another to stand out with 14:22.12 in the women 5000 m. The miracle was also to get all this athletes to compete amid restrictions. In total 9 World champions from Doha won, only 4 did not. Other European leads were set in 7 events (plus 3 also WL) – only in 4 non EL.
Short event by event review
Men
200m: Noah Lyles regained his world lead with 19.76 (+0.7) in big style as brother Josephus was second in 20.30. German 100 m EL holder Almaz improved as 3rd to 20.64 and beat some big names.
800m: Donavan Brazier lowered his own world lead with 1:43.15, just holding off the fast-finishing Bryce Hoppell, who took more than a second off his best with 1:43.23. Marco Arop, in third with 1:44.14, was the next of the five from the first six who set PBs. Sensational EL by fourth French Benjamin Robert 1:44.56 (with previous PB 1:46.52).
1500m: What was, even for Monaco, a sensational race, saw Timothy Cheruiyot narrowly miss his best with 3:28.45, the first lap of 52.6 showing more to come. Coming back at him with sensible pacing to challenge in the home straight was Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who broke Mo Farah’s European record with 3:28.68. In third, Jake Wightman moved ahead of all British greats of the past for second on the national all-time list (3:29.47). Filip Ingebrigtsen was fourth with 3:30.35. All finishers went sub 3:36.
5000m: With metronomic pacing, Joshua Cheptegei broke Kenenisa Bekele’s 16-year-old world record. His 12:35.36 was 1.99 seconds under the mark as he took more than 22 seconds from his PB. His last lap (59.64) was quickest but, apart from a 61.70 second, every other one was between 59.97 and 60.70. His first 3000m was 7:35.14 and second 3000m was quicker than 7:32. Nicholas Kimeli also set a PB, with 12:51.78 for second. Mike Foppen equalled the Dutch record of 13:13.06 (also a EL) in fourth.
3000m steeplechase: Soufiane Bakkali ran a world lead of 8:08.04 with Leonard Bett his only challenger on 8:08.78. Third French Djilali Bedrani 8:13.43 EL.
110m hurdles: Orlando Ortega came through late to pip Andrew Pozzi with a world lead of 13.11 (+0.8). The latter equalled his PB with 13.14, while third-place Wilhem Belocian set new figures also with 13.18. Fourth was world champion Grant Holloway (13.19).
400m hurdles: With 47.10 Karsten Warholm smashed Kevin Young’s meeting record as well as the world lead, pulling away further from Yasmani Copello (49.04) in the home straight. It equals the eighth fastest time in history and his second best ever.
Pole vault: Despite a three-attempt wobble at 5.70m, Armand Duplantis won it on 5.80m before also clearing 6.00m at his third (WL) and having a trio of failures at a would-be world outdoor record of 6.15m. Ben Broeders was second with 5.70m as Thiago Braz 5.50m was fifth.
Women
100m: In-form Swiss Ajla Del Ponte, with 11.16 (+0.4), surprise world bronze medallist Marie-Jose Ta Lou (fourth in 11.39) as Aleia Hobbs was second in 11.29.
400m: Lynna Irby set a world lead in her first Diamond League meeting, clocking 50.50 to beat Wadeline Jonathas into second (51.40). Hurdler Femke Bol was third with 51.57.
1000m: Faith Kipyegon ran the second fastest time in history, her 2:29.15 landing 0.17 outside the world record. The Diamond League record and world lead (also African record) put her ahead of Laura Muir, who broke Kelly Holmes’ British record with 2:30.82 (also EL). Ciara Mageean set an Irish record of 2:31.06 for third with Jemma Reekie fourth in a PB 2:31.11. Next Halimah Nakaayi set a Ugandan record of 2:32.12 and Sofia Ennaoui Polish record 2:32.30.
5000m: Hellen Obiri cut inside Letsenbet Gidey with 250m to go to set a world lead and meeting record of 14:22.12, with a 2:48 final kilometre. The runner-up was on 14:26.57 with Laura Weightman clocking a PB and EL of 14:35.44 for third. Jessica Hull set an Australian record of 14:43.80 in fourth. Sifan Hassan dropped out of the lead group of four at around 4km.
High jump: Yaroslava Mahuchikh took the win on countback as both she and Yuliya Levchenko cleared 1.98m.
Triple jump: A below-par Yulimar Rojas took victory with 14.27m amid four fouls. Gabriela Petrova was second on 14.18m.
