Beatrice Chebet Comes Close to World Record at Rome Diamond League

Beatrice Chebet narrowly misses the women’s 5000m world record at the Rome Diamond League, clocking 14:03.69. Other highlights include Anavia Battle winning the women’s 200m and thrilling finishes in men’s events. Quincy Hall and Azeddine Habz achieved notable victories.

In an exhilarating night at the Rome Diamond League, Kenyan runner Beatrice Chebet came within a hair’s breadth of the women’s 5000 meters world record, clocking a remarkable time of 14:03.69. This impressive performance, while a new meeting record, fell just 2.5 seconds short of Gudaf Tsegay’s long-standing record of 14:00.21 set in 1997. Chebet, after the race, expressed her determination to break the record in the near future.

In her previous race, Chebet had already demonstrated her prowess by recording the second-fastest time ever in the women’s 3000 meters at 8:11.56. “I can see that my body is in good shape and that I am capable of achieving the world record. Now I am going home to prepare for it. Everything is possible,” stated the 25-year-old athlete after her race, signaling her fierce ambition.

In other events, Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight dominated the women’s 400m hurdles, winning decisively with a time of 53.67 seconds. The women’s 200 meters saw American Anavia Battle take the crown at 22.53 seconds, while Irish runner Sarah Healey won the 1500 meters, finishing with a time of 3:59.17.

The men’s competitions were equally thrilling. The 110m hurdles showcased a close finish, with Swiss athlete Jason Joseph edging out American Cordell Tinch, both running 13.14 seconds. Meanwhile, Quincy Hall of the United States had a nail-biting victory in the men’s 400 meters, clocking in at 44.22 seconds. He finished just a hundredth of a second ahead of South Africa’s Zakithi Nene. “I have been working hard. We are coming there. I want to be the best. It is coming down,” Quincy said, hinting at his continued progress towards personal records.

The men’s 1500 meters featured a dramatic finish as Azeddine Habz from France surged past Kenya’s former world champion Timothy Cheruiyot in the final moments, winning by a mere three-hundredths of a second with a time of 3:29.72. Cheruiyot was close behind, finishing in 3:29.75. The night concluded with American Trayvon Bromell winning the 100 meters in 9.84 seconds, while high jump Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy did not medal, as South Korea’s Woo Sanghyeok claimed victory with a jump reaching 2.32 meters.

The Rome Diamond League featured record-breaking attempts and thrilling finishes, particularly highlighted by Beatrice Chebet’s near miss on the women’s 5000m world record. With strong performances across events by Chebet and others such as Anavia Battle and Azeddine Habz, the competition showcased world-class athletic talent. As athletes set their sights on future meets, the excitement in track and field continues to build.

Original Source: www.straitstimes.com