byStuart WeirThis is the first article coming by Stuart Weir on Monaco. The meet was an amazing reminder that Monaco is special and that an excellent track meet is even more special in this pandemic, a time bereft of athletics.
Joshua Cheptegai, photo: Etienne Fiacre
Herculis Intro
The best thing about the Herculis Monaco Diamond League was perhaps that it actually took place. A program of 14 events saw some stellar performances. There was a crowd of around 5, 000 instead of the potential capacity crowd of 16,000 to comply with Covid 19 safety and social distancing requirements. To compensate, World Athletics introduced a bespoke atmosphere creation system to enhance the experience for the athletes, the spectators and the broadcast audience in the absence of a full crowd.
Sadly, this year, I was not among the 5, 000 as I am deemed to be in the vulnerable category. In any case with the number of Covid cases rising in France, as of yesterday the British government introduced a requirement that anyone visiting France and returning to UK had to quarantine for two weeks. I know of at least one British journalist who made the trip, heard the government announcement and came straight home without staying for the event! Strange times in which we live.
When world 10,000m champion Joshua Cheptegei talked about breaking the world record in the 5000m this evening, it seemed a tall order in a year with so few races. But the Ugandan achieved his goal, clocking a stunning 12:35.36. He took two seconds off Kenenisa Bekele’s mark of 12:37.35, set 16 years ago in Hengelo. Amazingly, it was Cheptegei’s first race since setting a world 5km record on the roads on 16 February, also in Monaco.
Paced through the early stages by Roy Hoornweg (2:31.87 at 1000m) and Matthew Ramsden (5:03.77 at 2000m), Cheptegei took up the running at half way and continued the metronomic pace, churning out 61-second laps. He passed through 3000m in 7:35.14 and then upped the pace slightly with a 2:30 fourth kilometer.
Having left the rest of the field way behind, he maintained his tempo and eked out another 2:30 split for the final kilometer, bringing him to the finish line in 12:35.36.
BREAKING NEWS: Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei has set a new 5000m world record at the season-opening Monaco Diamond League.
The world 10,000m champion clocked 12min 35.36sec at the Stade Louis II to shatter Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele’s previous best of 12:37.35, set in 2004.#MonacoDL pic.twitter.com/9VtsRZbLM4
— Kiggundu Sairus (@CyrusGift) August 14, 2020
Kenya’s Nicholas Kimeli, who was just approaching the final straight as Cheptegei crossed the line, finished a distant second in a lifetime best of 12:51.78. His compatriot Jacob Krop was third in 13:11.32.
Mondo Duplantis, photo: Etienne Fiacre
Mondo Duplantis won the pole vault, clearing 6m but the competition lost some of its potential excitement when Sam Kendricks had to withdraw as his polls failed to arrive.
Karsten Warholm, photo: Etienne Fiacre
Karsten Warholm won the 400 in a ridiculously fast time of 47.10
The Lyle brothers dominated the 200m.
To rhyme like this. So I had to grind like that to shine like this. https://t.co/EyOf4Kl6U9
— Josephus lyles (@josephus_lyles) August 14, 2020
