FONTVIEILLE, MONACO, July 09 — The penultimate pre-Tokyo Diamond League meet of the season brought out a shot across the bow of her prime rival from reigning Olympic 1500 champion Faith Kipyegon in one of four stirring middle distance clashes. Her 3:51.07 clocking pushed the 27-year-old Kenyan to No. 2 on the all-time list, knocking Hassan down a spot, with the No. 2 performance (see chart).
The race started out as a setup for a record-level outing by world leader Sifan Hassan, who two years ago on this Stade Louis II oval lowered the mile WR to 4:12.33. Pacemaker Chanelle Price sped through splits of 61.41 and 2:03.55 as the lanky Hassan, the world titlist at 1500 and 10,000, followed evidencing hard effort as early as the second lap.
Kipyegon ran on the Dutchwoman’s heels, her gaze focused in concentration on the small of Hassan’s back. Just behind the Rio gold medalist ran Freweyni Hailu, a 20-year-old who moved up from the 800 to win the Ethiopian Trials with 3:57.33 in June.
Hassan’s split of about 2:04 at the 800 — faster than Genzebe Dibaba when she, also paced by Price, ran the WR of 3:50.07 on this track in ’15 — presaged a quick final time. Price stepped off and Hassan pushed on, all angles and facial expression, in front of Kipyegon, economical with her stride. Hassan carried through the bell in 2:51 and, as Hailu drifted back, through 1200 in 3:06.41.
Hassan punched up the backstretch — and could not shake Kipyegon. Late in the final bend, the Rio champ raced ahead into a storming stretch drive in which she opened her advantage to more than 15m for a 3:51.07–3:53.60 win.
Hassan’s time cut 0.03 from her seasonal best and was the No. 6 all-time performance, as well as the fastest non-winning mark ever. Kipyegon’s assertive win will surely have muddied her rival’s thought, expressed before the meet, of tripling 15/5/10 in Tokyo.
Said Kipyegon, “I thought I could run faster than that. I knew Sifan was going for a fast race and my goal was to run a fast race here, and I thank God that [I did].
“I am really looking forward to Tokyo and I know it will be a very hard competition but I hope to go there and defend my title. I have a lot of pressure because the 1500m is a tactical race.”
Of her career arc — Olympic & world titles in ’16 & ’17, maternity in ’18 followed by silver at Doha in 2019 — Kipyegon said, “I came back after giving birth and I feel like a role model for the young mother out there and the young athletes. I hope to show them that when you go for maternity leave, this does not mean the end of your career. You can come back strong and win races.”
The men’s 1500, too, was won with a comeback: world champion Timothy Cheruiyot’s to his second DL win since a faltering 4th-place Kenyan Trials finish that threatens to preclude Tokyo participation for the 2-time World No. 1. Cheruiyot strained a hamstring in the final 20m of that Nairobi race.
Here with his 3:28.28 PR Cheruiyot led a group of four under 3:30: Olympic year emerger Mohamed Katir with a Spanish Record 3:28.76, Jakob Ingebrigtsen at 3:29.25 after missing the home-soil Oslo Dream Mile with a throat infection and Stewart McSweyn in 3:29.51, an Australian Record on the heels of his mile NR in Oslo. Katir’s time put him No. 10 on the all-time list.
Cheruiyot grabbed the lead from American pacemaker Erik Sowinski (1:50.75) at 800 and with his forward-leaning carriage and strength held off the field over the final 700. Katir’s persistence in the last half lap was remarkable but insufficient as Cheruiyot covered his closing 300 in 40.79.
“Today’s race was good,” said Cheruiyot, holding out hope he will be named for Tokyo duty. “I won it for the third time [actually his fourth straight year] and I missed competition a lot after spending a lot of time in Kenya where I had a few issues like my hamstring injury and after also losing a relative in my family on the day of the Kenyan Trials… I am therefore happy I am back again after all this. Hopefully that will be the deciding performance to make the team for Tokyo.”
Karsten Warholm — in the absence of Rai Benjamin, who had been on the 400H startlist early — had another magnificent run, to a 47.08 finish, the =No. 11 all-time clocking, in gaining a win from Alison dos Santos (47.51).
The 800s were also scorchers. Nijel Amos’s world-leading 1:42.91 — the ’12 Olympic silver medalist’s fastest since Monaco ’19 — took the honors from former UTEPer Emmanuel Korir’s 1:43.04 and the 1:43.26 PR of Marco Arop.
Brit 1500 stalwart Laura Muir had a busy finish in the women’s race. Running 5th or 6th at 600, she made a sharp cut into lane 3 to get around a wall in front of her with 50m left, and prevailed at the end with a PR 1:56.73, a meter in front of training partner Jemma Reekie (1:56.96 PR) and American Kate Grace’s third PR in 8 days, 1:57.20.
On the field Katie Nageotte vaulted over 16-¾ (4.90) on first attempt to top a stellar group headed by Anzhelika Sidorova and Ekateríni Stefanídi, the latter two at 15-9 (4.80).
The DL’s novel last-round-takes-it-all format in the horizontal jumps and throws — which T&FN doesn’t recognize for World Rankings purposes —continued its cool reception from fans of the traditional protocol.
The women’s triple jump ended with an especially hollow clunk. Yulimar Rojas got off a corker in round 2, 49-7¼ (15.12), amid three frustratingly long fouls in her series. In the round 6 do-or-die, she soared near if not past World Record range, but launched from deep in the plasticine for a foul, and the resulting relegation to 3rd after Shanieka Ricketts and Patricia Mamona enhanced the buzzkill effect.
MONACO MEN’S RESULTS
100(0.3): 1. Ronnie Baker (US) 9.91; 2. Akani Simbine (SA) 9.98; 3. Lamont Marcell Jacobs (Ita) 9.99; 4. Andre De Grasse (Can) 10.00; 5. Trayvon Bromell (US) 10.01 (stumbled); 6. Fred Kerley (US) 10.15; 7. Filippo Tortu (Ita) 10.17;… fs—Jimmy Vicaut (Fra).
800: 1. Nijel Amos (Bot) 1:42.91 (WL);
2. Emmanuel Korir (Ken) 1:43.04; 3. Marco Arop (Can) 1:43.26 PR; 4. Ferguson Rotich (Ken) 1:43.57; 5. Elliot Giles (GB) 1:44.07; 6. Patryk Dobek (Pol) 1:44.28; 7. Clayton Murphy (US) 1:44.41; 8. Amel Tuka (Bos) 1:44.85; 9. Gabriel Tual (Fra) 1:45.08; 10. Benjamin Robert (Fra) 1:46.75; 11. Bryce Hoppel (US) 1:47.74;… rabbit—Patryk Sieradzki (Pol) (48.96).
1500: 1. Timothy Cheruiyot (Ken) 3:28.28 PR (WL) (7, x W) (2:48.46); 2. Mohamed Katir (Spa) 3:28.76 NR (10, x W);
3. Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Nor) 3:29.25; 4. Stewart McSweyn (Aus) 3:29.51 NR; 5. Charles Simotwo (Ken) 3:30.30 PR; 6. Marcin Lewandowski (Pol) 3:30.42 NR; 7. Samuel Tefera (Eth) 3:30.71 PR; 8. Azeddine Habz (Fra) 3:31.74 PR; 9. Melese Nberet (Eth) 3:31.82 PR; 10. Filip Ingebrigtsen (Nor) 3:32.23; 11. Baptiste Mischler (Fra) 3:32.42 PR; 12. Jye Edwards (Aus) 3:33.23 PR; 13. Adam Ali Musab (Qat) 3:35.57;… rabbit—Erik Sowinski (US) (54.20, 56.55 [1:50.75]).
(best-ever mark-for-place: 11)
St(bell run a lap early; marks won’t be considered in win-loss sense for T&FN Rankings): 1. Lamecha Girma (Eth) 8:07.75 (WL);
2. Abraham Kibiwot (Ken) 8:07.81; 3. Djilali Bedrani (Fra) 8:11.17; 4. Mehdi Belhadj (Fra) 8:12.43 PR;
5. Hillary Bor (US) 8:14.69 (AL);
6. Ahmed Abdelwahed (Ita) 8:14.86; 7. Benjamin Kigen (Ken) 8:15.09 (5:27.18); 8. Takele Bikila Tadese (Eth) 8:15.12; 9. Benard Keter (US) 8:18.53 PR; 10. Alexis Phelut (Fra) 8:20.51; 11. Daniel Arce (Spa) 8:20.91; 12. Mark Pearce (GB) 8:34.03;… rabbit—Amos Kirui (Ken) (2:39.63).
400H: 1. Karsten Warholm (Nor) 47.08 (x, =11 W); 2. Alison dos Santos (Bra) 47.51; 3. Rasmus Mägi (Est) 48.83; 4. Constantin Preis (Ger) 49.49; 5. Wilfried Happio (Fra) 49.66; 6. Chris McAlister (GB) 49.98;… dnf—Aldrich Bailey (US) (fell).
Field Events
HJ: 1. Mikhail Akimenko (Rus) 7-7¼ (2.32); 2. Django Lovett (Can) 7-6 (2.29); 3. Maksim Nedasekau (Blr) 7-4½ (2.25); 4. tie, Andrii Protsenko (Ukr) & Ilya Ivanyuk (Rus) 7-4½; 6. Brandon Starc (Aus) 7-3 (2.21); 7. Gianmarco Tamberi (Ita) 7-3; 8. Marco Fassinotti (Ita) 7-3.
LJ: 1. Tajay Gayle (Jam) 27-2½ (8.29) (f, 21-6¼, 26-3½, 26-9¾, 27-2½, f) (f, 6.56, 8.01, 8.17, 8.29, f); 2. Thobias Montler (Swe) 27-1¾ (8.27) PR (26-8¼, 27-1¾, p, 26-1, p, f) (8.13, 8.27, p, 7.95, p, f); 3. Miltiádis Tentóglou (Gre) 27-½ (8.24) (26-5½, 26-11¼, f, 26-9, 23-6¾, 27-½) (8.06, 8.21, f, 8.15, 7.18, 8.24) (DL protocol order: Tentóglou-Gayle-Montler); 4. Marquis Dendy (US) 26-2¾ (7.99); 5. Ruswahl Samaai (SA) 26-1 (7.95); 6. Filippo Randazzo (Ita) 26-0 (7.92); 7. Kevin Mayer (Fra) 24-1½ (7.35).
MONACO WOMEN’S RESULTS
200(0.7): 1. Shaunae Miller-Uibo (Bah) 22.23; 2. Marie Josée Ta Lou (CI) 22.25; 3. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (Jam) 22.48; 4. Mujinga Kambundji (Swi) 22.75; 5. Dezerea Bryant (US) 22.79; 6. Tamara Clark (US) 22.95; 7. Blessing Okagbare (Ngr) 22.98.
800: 1. Laura Muir (GB) 1:56.73 PR; 2. Jemma Reekie (GB) 1:56.96 PR;
3. Kate Grace (US) 1:57.20 PR (7, x A);
4. Natoya Goule (Jam) 1:57.35; 5. Habitam Alemu (Eth) 1:57.71; 6. Renelle Lamote (Fra) 1:57.98 PR; 7. Halimah Nakaayi (Uga) 1:58.03 NR; 8. Catriona Bisset (Aus) 1:58.42; 9. Rose M. Almanza (Cub) 1:58.51;… rabbit—Sahily Diago (Cub) (54.80).
1500: 1. Faith Kipyegon (Ken) 3:51.07 NR (WL) (2, 2 W); 2. Sifan Hassan (Neth) 3:53.60 (x, 6 W) (3:06.40);
3. Freweyni Hailu (Eth) 3:56.28 PR; 4. Winnie Nanyondo (Uga) 4:01.18; 5. Ciara Mageean (Ire) 4:02.48; 6. Esther Guerrero (Spa) 4:02.53; 7. Winny Chebet (Ken) 4:02.77; 8. Aurore Fleury (Fra) 4:03.35 PR; 9. Hanna Klein (Ger) 4:03.42; 10. Heather MacLean (US) 4:03.63; 11. Cory McGee (US) 4:04.20; 12. Sara Benfarès (Fra) 4:07.30 PR;… rabbit—Chanelle Price (US) (61.41, 62.14 [2:03.55]).
(best-ever mark-for-place: 2)
St: 1. Hyvin Jepkemoi (Ken) 9:03.82 (6:00.84); 2. Beatrice Chepkoech (Ken) 9:04.94; 3. Winfred Yavi (Bhr) 9:05.45; 4. Emma Coburn (US) 9:09.02 (fell at final waterjump); 5. Gesa-Felicitas Krause (Ger) 9:15.03; 6. Genevieve Gregson (Aus) 9:17.81; 7. Elizabeth Bird (GB) 9:22.80 NR; 8. Lomi Muleta (Eth) 9:22.84; 9. Irene Sánchez-Escribano (Spa) 9:33.72;… rabbit—Fancy Cherono (Ken) (2:58.78).
Field Events
PV: 1. Katie Nageotte (US) 16-¾ (4.90) (15-5 [2], 15-9 [3], 16-¾, 16-3¼ [xxx]) (4.70 [2], 4.80 [3], 4.90, 4.96 [xxx]); 2. Anzhelika Sidorova (Rus) 15-9 (4.80) (14-9, 15-5, 15-9, 16-¾ [x], 16-3¼ [xx]) (4.50, 4.70, 4.80, 4.90 [x], 4.96 [xx]); 3. Katerína Stefanídi (Gre) 15-9 (14-9, 15-5 [2], 15-9, 16-¾ [xxx]) (4.50, 4.70 [2], 4.80, 4.90 [xxx]); 4. Holly Bradshaw (GB) 15-5 (4.70); 5. Iryna Zhuk (Blr) 15-5; 6. tie, Sandi Morris (US) & Tina Šutej (Slo) 14-9 (4.50);… nh—Roberta Bruni (Ita), Polina Knoroz (Rus).
TJ: 1. Yulimar Rojas (Ven) 49-7¼ (15.12) (f, 49-7¼, f, 47-11¾, f, f) (f, 15.12, f, 14.62, f, f); 2. Shanieka Ricketts (Jam) 48-4¾ (14.75) (48-4¾, 47-4½, f, 48-¾, 47-1¾, 46-10¾) (14.75, 14.44, f, 14.65, 14.37, 14.29); 3. Patrícia Mamona (Por) 48-1¼ (14.66) NR (46-10¼, 47-9¾, f, f, 48-1¼, f) (14.28, 14.57, f, f, 14.66, f) (DL protocol finish: 1. Ricketts-Rojas-Mamona); 4. Ana Peleteiro (Spa) 47-9¾ (14.57); 5. Kimberly Williams (Jam) 47-7 (14.50); 6. Senni Salminen (Fin) 47-¾ (14.34); 7. Paraskeví Papahrístou (Gre) 46-9 (14.25); 8. Nubia Soares (Bra) 46-3½ (14.11); 9. Dariya Derkach (Ita) 45-3¾ (13.81).
JT: 1. Maria Andrejczyk (Pol) 208-9 (63.63) (208-9, p, f, 199-8, f, 190-4) (63.63, p, f, 60.86, f, 58.01); 2. Barbora Špotáková (CzR) 206-11 (63.08) (199-1, f, p, f, p, 206-11) (60.68, f, p, f, p, 63.08); 3. Christin Hussong (Ger) 202-3 (61.65) (196-10, 202-3, 194-8, 199-10, 192-11, 189-5) (60.01, 61.65, 59.35, 60.90, 58.80, 57.73) (DL protocol finish: 1. Špotáková-Andrejczyk-Hussong); 4. Tatsiana Khaladovich (Blr) 194-0 (59.15); 5. Liz Gleadle (Can) 191-7 (58.40); 6. Nikola Ogrodníková (CzR) 186-7 (56.87); 7. Victoria Hudson (Aut) 185-2 (56.45).