A stunning--but not wholly unexpected--World Record led a string of fast distance races in the two Diamond League meets following the Olympic Games in Rio!
Ruth Jebet, my Athletics Annual book says, was born November 17, 1996.
This made her just 19 when she DESTROYED the WR by just over 6 seconds in Paris today with her incredible time of 8:52.78.
If she can run THIS fast at 19, what can she run in 5---or 10--years?
In an amazing show of talent, she followed a pacer through the first 1000 in 2:56.
While the first 1000 times for the SC are not too reliable for estimating final times, this indicated we were in for a real SHOW!
And when she---now all alone, with Hyvin Kiyeng (Chepkemoi) already a few meters behind---kept steady through 2000 in 5:54, all eyes turned to the clock!
Jebet (A Kenyan woman told me today--as did Athletics Africa--her name IS Jebet--not Chebet, as some list her!) has AWFUL hurdling technique.
In fact, it seems, most Kenyans--female or male--do!!
She literally JUMPS over the hurdles, rather than, well, hurdles them!
(Compare their style to that of Emma Coburn, or Evan Jager, both of whom are "perfect" over the barriers, iincluding the water jump!)
But it doesn't matter!
Her speed and strength between the barriers tells the story better!
And there--right now--no other woman can match her!
Her 8:52.78 is the WR, and breaks her own National Record of Bahrain (She's a FORMER Kenyan!), and breaks her own Age 19 record.
She moves from 2nd A-T World to the top!
And on my Combined Events list for the 3000 & 3000SC??
Believe it or not, her fastest OUTdoor flat 3K time is 9:09.8!!
That's right, she's run about 17 seconds faster WITH hurdles than without!!
(That WILL be remedied, whenever she runs another flat 3000!! I'd guess she's good for high-8:20's or very low 8:30's!!)
Anyway, right now, her times add to 18:02.58.
My World list stops at 18:02.0, but I added her name, knowing she'll eventually have a combined time under 17:30!!
Kiyeng's time was 9:01.76 in second.
Then came Coburn in 9:10.19, her 2nd best ever!
Beatrice Chepkoech came in 4th in 9:10.86.
She moves from 22nd A-T World to 14th!
Sofia Assefa was next in 9:13.09, followed in 6th by 2016's best PR machine--GenGen LaCaze!!
This Australian lass has broken close to a dozen PR's over several distances this year, with her newest being her 9:14.28 here!
She broke the Australian National Record, and is now 22nd A-T World!
Virginia Nyambura--who I hadn't heard from too much this year--suddenly is back, as her 9:18.95 took 7th!
Then came two Americans, both getting PR's.
Stephanie Garcia, 4th at the Trials, topped her former best by about 4 seconds, her 9:19.48 moving her from 7th A-T US to 4th!
Then came Colleen Quigley, who JUST missed dipping under 9:20 with her EXACT 9:20.00!!
She moves from 6th to 5th on the A-T US list!!
In 10th came Etanesh Diro Neda's 9:21.44, good for the best-ever 10th Place record!!
A fast and deep field finished off a great 1000 meters in Lausanne's DL--2 days before Paris!
Ayanleh Souleiman's 2:13.49--off splits of 52, then 1:45-high--got the Lausanne Meet Record--although apparently it was the initial running of this event here!!
He also got the National Record of Djibouti.
He's now 5th A-T World!
Robert Biwott's 2:13.89 was 2nd, and makes him 9th A-T World!
Jonathan Kitilit was 3rd in 2:13.95, for the best-ever 3rd Place mark!
He gets the Age 22 record, and is 11th A-T World!
Next came Asbel Kiprop, whose 2:14.23 is the best 4th Place mark!
He's 14th A-T World!!
Then came Marcin Lewandowski's 2:14.30!
It's the best-ever 5th Place mark.
He also gets Adam Kszczot's National Record of Poland!
And he's now 15th A-T World!!
Matthew Centrowitz, the Olympic 1500 Gold winner, could finish just 6th here!
But he's now 9th A-T US with his 2:16.67!
Two more ran under 2:17, while 12 got under 2:20!
Another deep field of Men produced another speedy middle distance race--in Paris.
Minus Daniel Rudisha or Mohammed Aman or Nijel Amos, among others, this late-season race saw Alfred Kipketer emerge in front, his 1:42.87 missing my World DDD by just 0.06 seconds!!
Taoufik Makhloufi came 2nd in 1:42.98, with Jon Kitilit---who had run that fast 1K in Lausanne just 2 days before!--next in a PR of 1:43.05!
Ferguson Rotich, Ayonleh Souleiman, Pierre Ambroise-Bosse, and Marcin Lewandowski all followed, times between 1:43.43 and 1:43.73!
In 8th---running the best-ever 8th Place time--came Adam Kszczot in 1:43.76!!
So that makes one Place mark from the London race broken!!
The Men's 3000 in Paris had yet another solid group of finishers!
Yomif Kejelcha--all of 19 years of age!--won in 7:28.19.
Some sources have said this was the World Junior record!
But, as you know, I don't have records for Juniors, Youth, or Masters!
My "age" records are for actual AGE, not a GROUP of ages!!
So the fastest time by someone Age 19 remains Eliud Kipchoge's 7:27.72 from 2004!!
Kipchoge was born November 5, 1984.
Thus he was NOT a "Junior" that year, as indicated by IAAF standards and rules.
But he WAS 19, so gets that Age Record!
Kejelcha--born August 1, 1997--is still a "Junior", re IAAF!!
Also 19, he misses Kipchoge's record by 0.47 seconds!!
Just wanted to explain this to you, so you'd understand why I'm not calling this a "World Junior" record!
Anyway, back to that 3K!
Kejelcha is 14th A-T World!
Knocked OFF my World list was the sole American, Bernard Lagat, his 7:29.00 American Record time from 2010 now GONE!!
Abdelaati Iguider was 2nd in 7:30.09, with Hagos Gebrhiwet next in 7:30.45.
But in 4th came Ryan Hill, whose big PR of 7:30.93 moves him from 16th A-T US to 3rd!!
With his 3:35.59 in the 1500, he's now 3rd on my US Combined Events list for 1500-3000, with a total time of 11:06.52!
Albert Rop's 7:32.02 in 5th is the National Record of Bahrain!
Bethwell Birgen and Mukti Edris both ran under 7:34 in 6th and 7th!
In 8th came American Paul Chelimo, his 7:37.98 ranked 15th A-T US!
The Women's 3000 in Lausanne saw Genzebe Dibaba sprint to the front, her 8:31.84 getting the Lausanne Meet Record!
Helen Obiri ran 8:33.96, with Mercy Cherono's 8:34.49 following.
Way back--in 8th and last--came Alexa Efraimson, missing her attempt at the "American Junior" record.
She ran 9:11.48.
But more worrying than her slow time was the REASON for it!!
According to a source, she was doing fine for most of the race, then crumbled to the track on the final straight--and CRAWLED to the finish line!!
She was taken away by ambulance, and is apparently recovered.
No indication as to what caused it.
But if you recall, this (or something similar) has happened at least twice before!!
In a couple of 5000's (on the road??), she also stopped a short distance from the finish, having to jog or walk the rest of the way!
This has never happened in shorter races, nor in other 3000's she's run--as far as I know!
Supposedly, she'll run another DL--possibly Zurich!!
Laura Muir---of Great Britain via Scotland--needs to be taken VERY seriously from now on!!
Following the rabbit's pace of just under 64, then a 2:09-high through 800, Muir sprinted past the rabbit (who ran another 200 meters in the 3rd lane!!) on the second back-straight, running a 61 second lap, passing the 1100 mark in about 2:55, and the 1200 in 3:10!!
And she was still in the highest gear!!
Trying to catch her was the favored Faith Kipyegon, as well as Sifan Hassan--but to no avail!
Pulling away at the end, she SMASHED the British National Record with her stunning 3:55.22!!
Only one ACTIVE runner is faster than her---and her name is Genzebe Dibaba!!
She also gets the Age 23 record!!
And she's now 13th A-T World!!
The rest of the field wasn't exactly stale bread!!
Kipyegon ran a solid time of 3:56.72, followed in 3rd by Hassan's 3:57.13!!
Then came the Battle of the Americans!
Shannon Rowbury's 3:58.00 prevailed by just 0.19 seconds, as she finished 4th to Jenny Simpson's 6th place time of 3:58.19!!
They were separated (by the Referee!---HaHa, just kidding!!) by Dawit Seyaum's 3:58.05!!
Besu Sado's 3:59.96 made it SEVEN women who got in under 4 minutes!!
Sofia Ennoui's 4:01.00 was 8th!
Beyond the distances, there were some other good marks.
The Paris Men's Shot Put saw the Meet Record broken THREE times!!
(And it dated from 1992!!)
First came Tom Walsh's 71-6.75 in round 2.
Then that was broken by Ryan Crouser's 72-1.75 in round 3.
But his metric mark of 21.99 was bettered by 0.01--Walsh's 22.00 (72-2.25) in round 6 getting the last of the 3 MR's!!
Walsh also broke his own New Zealand National Record, and ranks 23rd A-T World, tied with 1 other!
In Lausanne, Valerie Adams beat her OG conqueror in the SP, Michelle Carter, 65-5 to 63-11.50!
Madeira Palameiko upset Barbora Spotakova in the Lausanne JT, 214-2 to 211-6.
But Caterine Ibarguen won her specialty, her Lausanne TJ winner measuring 48-5.25!
Philip Milanov took the Men's DT there with 215-3!
Mutaz Barshim's 7-8.50 won the HJ, while Sam Kendricks's 19-5 PR-equaler beat Renaud Lavillenie's 18-9.50!
Kendricks got the Lausanne Meet Record!
Ivana Spanovic took the Lausanne AND Paris LJ's, marks of 22-5 (with Darya Klishina 5th and Tianna Bartoletta 8th!) and 22-7.75.
But--possibly injured--she stopped after just 2 rounds in Paris!!
Jakub Vadlejch's 288-9 took the JT in Paris, but missed my World DDD by 1 foot and 2 inches!
Chris Carter took a weak Paris TJ with 55-6.25.
Sandra Perkovic came through with a 221-10 DT win, while Lavillenie rebounded on his home turf, his 19-5.50 prevailing over Kendricks's 19-0.75!
Renaud missed three tries at 6.00 meters!
Ruth Beitia's 6-6 took the Paris HJ over Lavern Spencer's 6-5.
Beitia tried 3 times at 6-7.50, or 2.02
Nicholas Bett returned to form, winning the Paris 400H in 48.01, beating Olympic Gold winner Kerron Clement's 48.19, and Yasman Copello's 48.24.
Natasha Hastings beat Stephanie McPherson in the 400, 50.06 to 50.33.
Orlando Ortega's 13.11 edged Omar McLeod's 13.12 in the 110H.
LaShawn Merritt eased through a 44.50 in the 400, beating Steven Gardiner's 44.75!
Delilah Muhammed kept winning, her 53.78 beating Elidh Doyle's 54.45.
In 5th and 6th came Shamier Little and Ashley Spencer (!!), both in the 55's!
Dafne Schippers won easily in the Paris 200, her 22.13 beating the PR of Desiree Henry--22.46.
Henry nipped Jenna Prandini's 22.48!
Kendra Harrison won twice--in Lausanne and Paris.
Her Lausanne time of 12.42 was 0.02 faster than her Paris win!
And Dawn Harper-Nelson took the runner-up prize in both, her times being 12.71, then 12.65!
The Lausanne Women's 100 was strange!
The first time (!!), the starter shot off the recall gun---but a few runners ran the whole distance, apparently not hearing the gun!!
So--just minutes later--they re-ran the race!!
Elaine Thompson's 10.78 easily beat Jenna Prandini's 11.11.
I don't know which runners ran that first race, so not sure which might have been tired for the re-run!!
The Men's 100 was taken by Ben Meite's Ivory Coast National Record-equaling 9.96!
Akani Simbine was 2nd in 10.00, with Churandy Martina next in 10.01.
Kim Collins and Michael Rodgers finished in 6th and 7th, times of 10.12 and 10.14.
Martina ran a better 200 in Paris!
His 19.81 breaks his own National Record of the Netherlands.
He moves from 24th A-T World, tied with 3 others, to 21st, tied with 1 other.
Alonzo Edward ran 19.92 in 2nd.
Asafa Powell took the Lausanne 100 in 9.96.
Two other track distance affairs were run, both in the Lausanne meet.
Abe Kibiwot took the 3000SC in 8:09.58, beating Nicholas Bett's (the OTHER Nicholas Bett!!) PR of 8:10.07.
Don Cabral finished 6th in 8:20.77.
And in the Women's 800, one of those who shall remain unnamed "won" the race in 1:57.71.
This person was followed by the REAL winner--Eunice Sum's 1:58.41.
Sum beat Lynsey Sharp's 1:58.52, and Melissa Bishop's 1:58.71, as well as Selina Buchel's 1:58.77.
On the Roads, Stephen Sambu won the Falmouth 7 Mile race, time of 32:10.
Len Korir took 2nd in 32:35.
Caroline Chepkoech won the Women's race in 36:25, with Betsy Saina 2nd in 36:52.
I'll close this lengthy post with some GREAT news!!
Gabe Grunewald, stricken with cancer for the third time, has DEFEATED this awful disease---a third time!
Surgery to remove a tumor from her liver was totally successful!
She was photographed in her bed, smiling, and thanking everyone for their support, saying she was on the road to recovery!!
The very next day, she was photographed WALKING---again smiling beautifully---in the hospital's hallway, a good friend by her side!
This woman is GUTS and HEART personified!!
Don't be at all shocked to see her back on the tracks---possibly even INdoors!!--in 2017!!
An AMAZING woman---and person!!
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