EUGENE, OREGON, May 25 — The most exciting women’s event at the Prefontaine Classic (AKA Eugene DL) was actually an appetizer to the iconic meet. Two hours prior to the Diamond League portion of the meet at Hayward Field, Beatrice Chebet used a devastating final three laps to smash the World Record in the 10,000.
Less than a week before the meet, it was confirmed that the 10Ks would double as the Athletics Kenya selection meet for the Olympics (or at least for two spots). As the gun went off the question was whether the Kenyans would try to match the World Record pace that Ethiopian’s Gudaf Tsegay was targeting, or would they play it safe and simply battle for spots in Paris in the world champion’s wake. The answer was clear right away, with the Kenyans sticking to the historic pace of the rabbits — and the green pacing lights, which were calibrated for the 29:01.03 set by Letesenbet Gidey in ’21.
By 4000m the racers were on their own with Tsegay leading Beatrice Chebet, Lilian Rengeruk and Margaret Kipkemboi. At 5000 (14:31.08) the quartet was right on target for the record, but soon Kipkemboi and Regneruk had fallen off the pace. Tsegay — who set the 5000 WR on this track in last September’s DL Final — and Chebet soldiered on, sticking at or near the leading pacelight lap after lap.
Finally, just before 3 laps to go, Chebet, who had scored her second straight world cross country title in March, surged ahead of Tsegay and quickly separated herself. Her lead continued to grow, and a 63.63 final lap was more than enough to crush the record and clock the first sub-29:00 on the track, 28:54.14.
“I knew that if I could do well in the 10K cross country, why couldn’t I do well in the 10K on the track,” said Chebet, the 5000 bronze medalist in Budapest last summer. “Because Gudaf requested the World Record I said [to myself], ‘Let me go with her and see how my body responds.’ And the body responded well so I decided to go.” She said she intends to go after the Olympic double in August.
Tsegay took 2nd in 29:05.92, No. 3 all time, followed by Regneruk (29:26.89) and Kipkemboi (29:27.59), who moved to Nos. 6 and 7. Regneruk grabbed the second Olympic berth, while Kipkemboi will have to wait for the Kenyan selectors to make their decision.
At the shorter end of the spectrum, Sha’Carri Richardson ran the first 100 of her season and won convincingly in 10.83, ahead of world indoor 60 champion Julien Alfred (10.93). Two-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah, opening her season, was last in 11.30.
Richardson, the reigning world champion, once again received a warm reception from the Hayward crowd in the sole Diamond League meet in the Western Hemisphere. “It feels exciting with the stadium here [that] has the magnitude, has the magic and embraces the sport and [shows] the love that we as track & field athletes deserve,” she said. “And of course I didn’t have to travel too far to get here.”
In the 800, Olympic champ Athing Mu pulled out of a clash with ’23 World champ Mary Moraa and perpetual silver medalist Keely Hodgkinson due to soreness in her left hamstring.
The race was nonetheless entertaining, with Hodgkinson coming from well back to seize the lead by running wide on the final turn and edging ahead of Moraa. The Brit powered home in a world-leading 1:55.78, with Moraa the runner-up in 1:56.71.
“With our history of racing, whenever she’s ahead, she’s quite hard to get around, she’s a really good racer,” Hodgkinson said of Moraa. “But I could tell it was fast [55.22 for the rabbit at 400] and I didn’t want to go that fast. With the 800, you have to think on your feet and see what’s going on in front of you and make the decision there. I trusted myself today.”
Jemma Reekie (1:57.45) followed in 3rd, and Nia Akins was 4th in a U.S.-leading 1:57.98.
The 5000 wasn’t an Ethiopian Olympic Trials race, but it was dominated by runners from that country, with Tsige Gebreselama (14:18.76 WL) winning in a thrilling homestretch duel over Ejgayehu Taye (14:18.92). The top 6 slots went to Ethiopians, while Weini Kelati finished 9th in 14:35.43, making her the No. 6 American of all time and — more importantly — securing an Olympic qualifying time.
An Ethiopian also won the 1500, with Budapest silver medalist Diribe Welteji winning handily in a PR 3:53.75. Jessica Hull closed well for 2nd in an Australian Record 3:55.97, while Elle St. Pierre clocked 3:56.00 to move to the No. 2 spot on the U.S. list. Fellow Americans Nikki Hiltz (3:59.64) and Emily Mackay (3:59.76) broke 4:00 to place 5th and 6th.
Beatrice Chepkoech had no use for the rabbit in the steeplechase, moving to the front after one lap. She and Peruth Chemutai quickly broke away from the pack and ran side-by-side on the final lap until Chemutai used momentum off the final barrier to secure the win and clock a world-leading 8:55.09. That broke her Ugandan Record and moved her to No. 6 all-time. WR holder Chepkoech (8:56.51) also came in under 9:00.
Running almost anonymously in lane 8, Cyréna Samba-Mayela won the 100H and equaled her French Record of 12.52, just ahead of Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (12.54) and Tonea Marshall (12.55).
Defending Olympic gold medalist Valarie Allman led wire to wire in the discus and notched her best effort in the final round at 221-0 (67.36). World champion Camryn Rogers of Canada won the non-DL hammer throw in 255-1 (77.76) from her two world titlist predecessors, DeAnna Price (’19) and Brooke Andersen (’22).
Emily Grove won the pole vault at the modest height of 15-2¼ (4.63), while Olympic and world champion Katie Moon — who had a platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection for Achilles tendinosis after the World Indoor and had not competed since — struggled to find her rhythm on the runway and managed only 14-10¼ (4.53) for 2nd. Cuba’s Leyanis Pérez took the triple jump at 48-4 (14.73).
PRE CLASSIC WOMEN’S RESULTS
100(1.5): 1. Sha’Carri Richardson (US) 10.83; 2. Julien Alfred (StL) 10.93; 3. Dina Asher-Smith (GB) 10.98; 4. Daryll Neita (GB) 11.00; 5. Melissa Jefferson (US) 11.02; 6. Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith (CI) 11.05; 7. TeeTee Terry (US) 11.19; 8. Brittany Brown (US) 11.21; 9. Elaine Thompson-Herah (Jam) 11.30.
800: 1. Keely Hodgkinson (GB) 1:55.78 (WL);
2. Mary Moraa (Ken) 1:56.71; 3. Jemma Reekie (GB) 1:57.45; 4. Nia Akins (US) 1:57.98; 5. Halimah Nakaayi (Uga) 1:58.18; 6. Catriona Bisset (Aus) 1:58.44; 7. Sage Hurta-Klecker (US) 1:58.48; 8. Tsige Duguma (Eth) 1:58.70; 9. Natoya Goule-Toppin (Jam) 1:59.92;… rabbit—Kaylin Whitney (US) (55.22).
1500: 1. Diribe Welteji (Eth) 3:53.75 PR (3:08.44) (7, x W);
2. Jessica Hull (Aus) 3:55.97 NR;
3. Elle St. Pierre (US) 3:56.00 PR (2, 2 A);
4. Laura Muir (GB) 3:56.35; 5. Nikki Hiltz (US) 3:59.64; 6. Emily Mackay (US) 3:59.76 PR; 7. Katie Snowden (GB) 4:00.24; 8. Georgia Bell (GB) 4:00.41 PR; 9. Sinclaire Johnson (US) 4:00.43; 10. Habitam Alemu (Eth) 4:00.44; 11. Susan Ejore (Ken) 4:01.09; 12. Linden Hall (Aus) 4:01.97; 13. Elise Cranny (US) 4:03.08; 14. Cory McGee (US) 4:04.91;… rabbit—Jazz Shukla (Can) (61.75, 63.17 [2:04.92]).
St: 1. Peruth Chemutai (Uga) 8:55.09 NR (WL) (6, 9 W);
2. Beatrice Chepkoech (Ken) 8:56.51 (2:51.22, 5:55.96); 3. Faith Cherotich (Ken) 9:04.45; 4. Sembo Almayew (Eth) 9:07.26;
5. Val Constien (US) 9:14.29 PR (7, x A);
6. Courtney Wayment (US) 9:14.48;
7. Gabrielle Jennings (US) 9:18.03 PR (10, x A);
8. Kaylee Mitchell (US) 9:21.00 PR; 9. Winfred Yavi (Bhr) 9:21.62; 10. Norah Jeruto (Kaz) 9:22.91; 11. Krissy Gear (US) 9:24.42; 12. Marwa Bouzayani (Tun) 9:24.84; 13. Jackline Chepkoech (Ken) 9:30.59.
5000: 1. Tsige Gebreselama (Eth) 14:18.76 PR (WL) (5:43.88, 11:34.02);
2. Ejgayehu Taye (Eth) 14:18.92 (8:40.56); 3. Freweyni Hailu (Eth) 14:20.61 PR; 4. Aynadis Mebratu (Eth) 14:22.76 PR;
5. Birke Haylom (Eth) 14:23.71 WJR (old WJR 14:30.88 Tirunesh Dibaba [Eth] ’04) (2, 3 WJ);
6. Hirut Meshesha (Eth) 14:33.44 PR; 7. Sifan Hassan (Neth) 14:34.38; 8. Fantaye Belayneh (Eth) 14:35.27 PR;
9. Weini Kelati (US) 14:35.43 PR (6, 9 A);
10. Senayet Getachew (Eth) 14:37.38 PR; 11. Nozomi Tanaka (Jpn) 14:47.69; 12. Bosena Mulate (Eth) 14:53.15 PR; 13. Ayal Dagnachew (Eth) 14:53.85; 14. Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal (Nor) 14:56.24;… rabbit—Simone Plourde (Can) (2:50.25).
Non-DL 10,000(Kenya OT): 1. Beatrice Chebet (Ken) 28:54.14 WR (old WR 29:01.03 Letesenbet Gidey [Eth] ’21) (14:31.08/14:23.06);
(kilo leaders: Berhe 2:53.32, 2:54.75 [5:48.07], Alemeshete 2:54.12 [8:42.19], Tsegay 2:55.20 [11:37.39], 3:03.69 [14:31.08], 2:54.05 [17:25.13], 2:54.84 [20:19.97], 2:54.23 [23:14.20], Chebet 2:53.70 [26:07.90], 2:46.24)
2. Gudaf Tsegay (Eth) 29:05.92 PR (3, 3 W); 3. Lilian Rengeruk (Ken) 29:26.89 PR (6, 6 W); 4. Margaret Kipkemboi (Ken) 29:27.59 PR (7, 7 W);
5. Janeth Chepngetich (Ken) 30:04.97 PR; 6. Emmaculate Anyango (Ken) 30:06.43 PR; 7. Catherine Amanang’ole (Ken) 30:07.42 PR; 8. Faith Chepkoech (Ken) 30:22.77 PR; 9. Sarah Chelangat (Uga) 30:24.04 NR; 10. Miriam Chebet (Ken) 30:27.30 PR; 11. Grace Nawowuna (Ken) 30:34.86; 12. Loice Chemnung (Ken) 30:44.86 PR; 13. Daisy Jepkemei (Kaz) 30:52.43 PR;… rabbits—Saron Berhe (Eth) 2:53.32, 5:48.07, Mekedes Alemeshete (Eth) 8:42.19.
(best-ever mark-for-place: 1–7, 10–11).
100H(-0.9): 1. Cyrena Samba-Mayela (Fra) 12.52 =NR; 2. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (PR) 12.54; 3. Tonea Marshall (US) 12.55; 4. Devynne Charlton (Bah) 12.63; 5. Alaysha Johnson (US) 12.65; 6. Danielle Williams (Jam) 12.65; 7. Cindy Sember (GB) 12.76; 8. Nia Ali (US) 12.80; 9. Masai Russell (US) 12.80.
Field Events
PV: 1. Emily Grove (US) 15-2¼ (4.63) (14-½ [2], 14-6¼, 14-10¼ [3], 15-2¼ [3], 15-6¼ [xxx]) (4.28 [2], 4.43, 4.53 [3], 4.63 [3], 4.73 [xxx]); 2. Katie Moon (US) 14-10¼ (4.53); 3. Robeilys Peinado (Ven) 14-10¼; 4. Gabriela Leon (US) 14-6¼ (4.43); 5. Bridget Williams (US) 14-6¼; 6. Anicka Newell (Can) 14-½ (4.28); 7. Rachel Baxter (US) 14-½.
TJ: 1. Leyanis Pérez (Cub) 48-4w (14.73) (48-4w, 47-9¼, 47-6¼, p, f, f) (14.73w, 14.56, 14.48, p, f, f);
2. Thea LaFond (Dom) 47-11¾ (14.62) (WL) (f, f, 47-9, 46-7½, 47-3½, 47-11¾, WL) (f, f, 14.55, 14.21, 14.41, 14.62, WL);
3. Shanieka Ricketts (Jam) 47-9 (14.55) (f, 46-8¾, f, 47-9, f, f) (f, 14.24, f, 14.55, f, f); 4. Keturah Orji (US) 46-4¼ (14.13); 5. Tori Franklin (US) 45-10 (13.97); 6. Jasmine Moore (US) 45-8½ (13.93).
DT: 1. Valarie Allman (US) 221-0 (67.36) (218-8, 212-10, 219-4, f, f, 221-0) (66.66, 64.87, 66.87, f, f, 67.36); 2. Yaimé Pérez (Cub) 220-7 (67.25) (217-3, 214-0, f, 213-1, f, 220-7) (66.23, 65.22, f, 64.94, f, 67.25); 3. Jorinde van Klinken (Neth) 212-10 (64.88); 4. Sandra Elkasević (Cro) 212-3 (64.69); 5. Kristin Pudenz (Ger) 204-2 (62.24); 6. Lagi Tausaga (US) 203-5 (62.01).
Non-DL HT: 1. Camryn Rogers (Can) 255-1 (77.76) (243-9, 251-4, 246-6, 251-7, 253-4, 255-1,) (74.30, 76.60, 75.14, 76.69, 77.23, 77.76,); 2. DeAnna Price (US) 251-9 (76.74) (251-8, 251-9, 249-0, 249-11, f, 241-5) (76.71, 76.74, 75.90, 76.17, f, 73.59); 3. Brooke Andersen (US) 250-5 (76.34) (239-5, 250-5, 241-2, 248-6, 243-0, 245-8) (72.98, 76.34, 73.50, 75.75, 74.07, 74.89); 4. Janee’ Kassanavoid (US) 244-11 (74.65); 5. Silja Kosonen (Fin) 242-8 (73.97); 6. Annette Echikunwoke (US) 237-0 (72.25); 7. Janeah Stewart (US) 220-4 (67.16); 8. Jillian Weir (Can) 219-7 (66.94).