LIÉVIN, FRANCE, February 09 — The excitement of the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais was already running at fever pitch by the time Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay stepped on the track for the penultimate race of the day, billed as a battle between the Doha bronze medalist and her British rival, Laura Muir.
No battle ensued; just a rout, as Tsegay, who has an outdoor best of 3:54.38, ran without hesitation or doubt, dismantling the 1500 World Record as if it were child’s play. The result, 3:53.09, crushed the old best, Genzebe Dibaba’s 3:55.17, by more than 2 seconds.
At the gun, teammate Hirut Meshesha, a little-known 800 runner with a PR of 2:00.92, zipped to the lead, followed by Kenyan Josephine Kiplangat and Tsegay. The threesome barreled through the first lap in 29.21 and the 400 in 59.10. Muir at that point already lagged more than 20m behind in 5th.
At 700, Tsegay showed her impatience with the rabbits, reaching out to push Kiplangat and dismiss her, passing her tightly on the outside. Just 100 later she went past Meshesha on the inside, hitting the 800 in 2:05.94.
From there, astoundingly, she accelerated. Driving with a low but powerful arm carriage, the 24-year-old tore past 1000 in 2:37.36, just off the WR clip and only 0.01 off the yearly world kilo leader. She increased her tempo: 30.60 and then 30.16, with a final 100 of 14.97 bringing her to the line more than 35m ahead of Muir’s 3:59.58 national record.
Without pausing, Tsegay launched into a fist-pumping celebratory lap in front of the mostly empty arena, showing no signs of fatigue at all. “My training did that,” she said. “The pace is my friend. I have been training really hard and I am so happy.”
Plenty of hot action preceded Tsegay’s stunner. In the men’s 1500, Jakob Ingebrigtsen laid down a 3:31.80 Norwegian record to move to No. 5 all-time.
In a deep 3000, Ethiopian Getnet Wale, only 20, stunned with a 7:24.98 that missed Daniel Komen’s ’98 WR by only 0.08 and made him No. 3 ever in/out. Two others followed under 7:30, Selemon Barega (7:26.10) and Lamecha Girma (7:27.98). They moved to Nos. 3 and 6 on the all-time indoor list. Barega’s mark is the fastest non-winning time ever, indoors or out.
Directly following came the men’s hurdles. Expectations ran high for Grant Holloway after a 7.38 heat, just missing his own twice-run American Record of 7.35. In the final, he bulled his way to a record 7.32, missing Colin Jackson’s 27-year-old global standard by just 0.02. He quipped on Instagram, “I have a bald head & I’m just having fun.”
The best mark on the field came from triple jump WR holder Hugues Fabrice Zango, whose 58-5¾ (17.82) in round 5 is the No. 8 leap in undercover history. In the other horizontal jump, Cuba’s Juan Miguel Echevarría got the year’s first 27-footer, raising the world lead to 27-¾ (8.25).
Mondo Duplantis, who apparently had a balky hamstring, took the vault with a modest 19-2¾ (5.86), winning on misses from American Chris Nilsen.
LIÉVIN WIT MEN’S RESULTS
(200 banked)
60: 1. Lamont Marcell Jacobs (Ita) 6.54 =PR; 2. Mike Rodgers (US) 6.60; 3. Arthur Gue Cissé (CI) 6.61; 4. Mouhamadou Fall (Fra) 6.62 PR; 5. Devin Quinn (US) 6.63; 6. Amaury Golitin (Fra) 6.65; 7. Ján Volko (Svk) 6.67.
800: I–1. Elliot Giles (GB) 1:45.49; 2. Cornelius Tuwei (Ken) 1:46.88; 3. Eliott Crestan (Bel) 1:46.93; 4. Benjamin Robert (Fra) 1:47.06; 5. Andreas Kramer (Swe) 1:47.48; 6. Pierre-Ambroise Bosse (Fra) 1:47.81; 7. Amel Tuka (Bos) 1:48.28 NR; 8. Álvaro de Arriba (Spa) 1:48.67; 9. Collins Kipruto (Ken) 1:51.44.
II–1. Mariano Garcia (Spa) 1:47.28; 2. Mateusz Borkowski (Pol) 1:47.61; 3. Baptiste Mischler (Fra) 1:47.74; 4. Gabriel Tual (Fra) 1:47.85 PR; 5. Guy Learmonth (GB) 1:47.94; 6. Tony van Diepen (Neth) 1:48.36 PR; 7. Kyle Langford (GB) 1:48.38; 8. Nicholas Kipkoech (Ken) 1:49.20.
1500: 1. Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Nor) 3:31.80 NR (WL) (5, 6 W);
2. Marcin Lewandowski (Pol) 3:36.83; 3. Mohamed Katir (Spa) 3:36.89 PR; 4. Ignacio Fontes (Spa) 3:36.89 PR; 5. Andrew Coscoran (Ire) 3:37.20 PR; 6. István Szögi (Hun) 3:37.58; 7. Jimmy Gressier (Fra) 3:38.03 PR; 8. Simon Denissel (Fra) 3:38.23; 9. Quentin Tison (Fra) 3:39.04 PR; 10. Bethwel Birgen (Ken) 3:39.27; 11. Samuel Tefera (Eth) 3:39.27; 12. Filip Ingebrigtsen (Nor) 3:40.09.
3000: 1. Getnet Wale (Eth) 7:24.98 NR (WL) (2, 2 W) (in/out: 3, 4 W); 2. Selemon Barega (Eth) 7:26.10 PR (3, 3 W) (in/out: 8, x W); 3. Lamecha Girma (Eth) 7:27.98 PR (6, 8 W); 4. Berihu Aregawi (Eth) 7:29.24 PR (8, 11 W);
5. Birhanu Yemataw (Bhr) 7:37.99; 6. Tadese Worku (Eth) 7:41.06 PR; 7. Mike Foppen (Neth) 7:42.55 NR; 8. Djilali Bedrani (Fra) 7:46.52; 9. Jonas Raess (Swi) 7:47.50; 10. Yassin Bouih (Ita) 7:47.98 PR; 11. Adel Mechaal (Spa) 7:48.26; 12. Davis Kiplangat (Ken) 7:49.27; 13. Justus Soget (Ken) 7:54.31.
(best-ever mark-for-place: 2)
60H: 1. Grant Holloway (US) 7.32 AR (old AR 7.35 Holloway [Florida] ’19 & Holloway [adidas] ’21) (WL) (2, 2 W);
2. Wilhem Belocian (Fra) 7.52; 3. Paolo Dal Molin (Ita) 7.55; 4. Aaron Mallett (US) 7.57; 5. Damian Czykier (Pol) 7.59; 6. Jarret Eaton (US) 7.60; 7. Michael Obasuyi (Bel) 7.67 =PR; 8. Kevin Mayer (Fra) 7.79.
Heats: II–1. Holloway 7.38 (x, =10 A).
Field Events
PV: 1. Mondo Duplantis (Swe) 19-2¾ (5.86) (18-4½, 19-2¾) (5.60, 5.86); 2. Chris Nilsen (US) 19-2¾ (17-4½, 17-10½, 18-4½, 18-10 [2], 19-¼, 19-2¾, 19-5 [xxx]) (5.30, 5.45, 5.60, 5.74 [2], 5.80, 5.86, 5.92 [xxx]); 3. Renaud Lavillenie (Fra) 19-¼ (5.80); 4. Piotr Lisek (Pol) 18-10 (5.74); 5. tie, Ernest John Obiena (Phi) & Thiago Braz (Bra) 18-4½ (5.60); 7. tie, Jacob Wooten (US) & Sam Kendricks (US) 18-4½; 9. Valentin Lavillenie (Fra) 18-4½;… nh—Matt Ludwig (US).
LJ: 1. Juan Miguel Echevarría (Cub) 27-¾ (8.25) (WL) (f, 25-11½, 26-2¼, 25-5¼, p, 27-¾) (f, 7.91, 7.98, 7.75, p, 8.25);
2. Miltiádis Tentóglou (Gre) 26-11¼ (8.21) (f, 26-4½, 26-11¼ [=WL], f, 26-2¼, f) (f, 8.04, 8.21, f, 7.98, f); 3. Thobias Montler (Swe) 26-4¼ (8.03); 4. Alexsandro Melo (Bra) 24-5¾ (7.46); 5. Yann Randrianasolo (Fra) 24-2¼ (7.37); 6. Romeo N’tia (Ben) 24-¾ (7.33); 7. Lester Lescay (Cub) 23-11½ (7.30).
TJ: 1. Hugues Fabrice Zango (Bur) 58-5¾ (17.82) (x, 8 W) (f, f, f, 54-6, 58-5¾, f) (f, f, f, 16.61, 17.82, f);
2. Melvin Raffin (Fra) 55-7 (16.94);
3. Donald Scott (US) 55-5½ (16.90) (AL) (53-11¾, f, f, 52-10¾, 53-11¾, 55-5½) (16.45, f, f, 16.12, 16.45, 16.90 (AL);
4. Tobia Bocchi (Ita) 55-5 (16.89) PR; 5. Alexis Copello (Aze) 55-¾ (16.78); 6. Andréas Pantazís (Gre) 50-6¾ (15.41).
LIÉVIN WOMEN’S RESULTS
60: 1. Javianne Oliver (US) 7.10 (=AL);
2. Rosângela Santos (Bra) 7.17 =NR; 3. Dezerea Bryant (US) 7.21; 4. Ajla Del Ponte (Swi) 7.23; 5. Maja Mihalinec (Slo) 7.28; 6. Krystsina Tsimanouskaya (Blr) 7.30; 7. Jamile Samuel (Neth) 7.38.
800: I–1. Jemma Reekie (GB) 2:00.64; 2. Habitam Alemu (Eth) 2:00.86; 3. Hedda Hynne (Nor) 2:00.92 NR; 4. Keely Hodgkinson (GB) 2:01.71; 5. Lore Hoffmann (Swi) 2:02.15; 6. Diribe Welteji (Eth) 2:03.37.
II–1. Joanna Jóźwik (Pol) 2:02.97; 2. Nadia Power (Ire) 2:03.84; 3. Angelika Cichocka (Pol) 2:03.88; 4. Lovisa Lindh (Swe) 2:04.60.
1500: 1. Gudaf Tsegay (Eth) 3:53.09 WR (old WR 3:55.17 Genzebe Dibaba [Ethiopia] ’14) (in/out: 4, 4 W);
2. Laura Muir (GB) 3:59.58 NR; 3. Melissa Courtney-Bryant (GB) 4:04.79 PR; 4. Elise Vanderelst (Bel) 4:05.71 NR; 5. Hanna Klein (Ger) 4:06.86 PR; 6. Esther Guerrero (Spa) 4:07.72; 7. Edina Jebitok (Ken) 4:11.87 PR; 8. Solange Andreia Pereira (Spa) 4:17.11.
2000St: 1. Winfred Yavi (Bhr) 5:45.09; 2. Maruša Mišmaš-Zrimsek (Slo) 5:48.71; 3. Fancy Cherono (Ken) 6:10.11 PR; 4. Mercy Chepkurui (Ken) 6:10.99; 5. Alexa Lemitre (Fra) 6:15.35 PR.
3000: 1. Lemlem Hailu (Eth) 8:32.55 PR (WL);
2. Sifan Hassan (Neth) 8:33.62; 3. Beatrice Chepkoech (Ken) 8:34.21 PR; 4. Fantu Worku (Eth) 8:37.84; 5. Tsige Gebreselama (Eth) 8:38.20 PR; 6. Beatrice Chebet (Ken) 8:42.76 PR; 7. Gloria Kite (Ken) 8:44.51; 8. Maureen Koster (Neth) 8:49.63; 9. Alice Finot (Fra) 8:53.00 PR; 10. Gesa-Felicitas Krause (Ger) 8:55.25; 11. Quailyne Kiprop (Ken) 8:57.70; 12. Sara Benfarès (Fra) 9:01.43 PR.
60H: 1. Nadine Visser (Neth) 7.91; 2. Christina Clemons (US) 7.91; 3. Nooralotta Neziri (Fin) 7.91 =NR; 4. Tobi Amusan (Ngr) 7.99; 5. Luca Kozák (Hun) 8.06; 6. Taliyah Brooks (US) 8.07; 7. Luminosa Bogliolo (Ita) 8.17; 8. Anne Zagré (Bel) 8.22.
Field Events
PV: 1. Holly Bradshaw (GB) 15-6¼ (4.73) (14-9, 15-2¼ [2], 15-6¼, 15-10 [xxx]) (4.50, 4.63 [2], 4.73, 4.83 [xxx]); 2. Katerína Stefanídi (Gre) 15-2¼ (4.63); 3. Iryna Zhuk (Blr) 15-2¼; 4. Anicka Newell (Can) 14-9 (4.50); 5. Tina Šutej (Slo) 14-9; 6. Eléni-Klaoúdia Pólak (Gre) 14-9; 7. Angelica Moser (Swi) 14-9; 8. tie, Alysha Newman (Can) & Michaela Meijer (Swe) 14-3¼ (4.35).
SP: 1. Auriol Dongmo (Por) 62-11¼ (19.18) (58-11½, 60-3, 62-11¼, 62-10, 61-7, 62-3) (17.97, 18.36, 19.18, 19.15, 18.77, 18.97); 2. Christina Schwanitz (Ger) 62-1¼ (18.93) (61-0, 61-7¾, f, 61-8½, f, 62-1¼) (18.59, 18.79, f, 18.81, f, 18.93);
3. Raven Saunders (US) 61-2¾ (18.66) (AL) (56-6½, 61-2¾, f, 55-10½, f, f) (17.23, 18.66, f, 17.03, f, f);
4. Fanny Roos (Swe) 60-8¾ (18.51); 5. Chase Ealey (US) 57-11¾ (17.67); 6. Melissa Boekelman (Neth) 55-6½ (16.93). □