Nine months on from becoming the Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion in Paris,
Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet dropped down in distance to become the second-fastest women’s 3000m runner of all time at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Rabat on Sunday (25).
The 25-year-old won a race against the pace lights set for 8:15.00, kicking on the final lap to cross the finish line in 8:11.56 – an African record that moves her to No.2 on the world all-time list. Only China’s Wang Junxia with her world record of 8:06.11 from 1993 has ever gone faster.
Chebet, world record-holder for the 10,000m and road 5km, tucked herself behind the two pacemakers from the start. With two minutes on the clock, a lead group of three behind the pacemakers had already been established, but Chebet didn’t have company for long.
After Winnie Nanyondo took them through 1000m in 2:44.47, the pace dropped ever so slightly and Chebet reached 2000m in 5:30.51. She was running at the back of the pace lights with two laps to go but was right on the rhythm at the bell. Kicking again, Chebet left the lights behind and powered over the finish line in 8:11.56.
She won by more than 14 seconds but showing the great standard, Nadia Battocletti’s 8:26.27 for second place was still an Italian record, while Ireland’s Sarah Healy set a PB of 8:27.02 to finish third.
“I am so happy,” said Chebet. “I was not preparing for a world record attempt, I just came to run my personal best and that’s what I did. I just have to believe in myself and then maybe after some months or years, that world record will come.
“After a few laps I realised I was on my own, but I kept pushing myself to show everyone what I can do. I really like this distance – it’s nothing like a 5000m or 10,000m, it’s something completely different and I am also good at it.”
Soufiane El Bakkali was another of the six Olympic champions from Paris in action and he received great home support from the Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athletisme de Rabat crowd.
While the two-time world and Olympic champion’s victory in the 3000m steeplechase never looked under threat, the race did finish in thrilling style. As El Bakkali secured the win in a world lead of 8:00.70, European fourth-place finisher Frederik Ruppert chased him over the finish line in 8:01.49 to take almost eight seconds off the German record. Kenya’s 17-year-old world U20 champion Edmund Serem was third in a PB of 8:07.47.
