Mohamed Abdilaahi takes five seconds off a 28-year-old German 3000 m record in Shaoxing
His 7:25.77 led 14 men under 7:30, the deepest 3000 m ever run; Peruth Chemutai beat Faith Cherotich by 0.01 in the steeplechase and Mark English ran 1:43.85.
Photograph: Peruth Chemutai, Faith Cherotich and Lomi Muleta in the first heat of the women's 3000 m steeplechase at the Paris 2024 Olympics, by Pronoia, CC0, via Wikimedia CommonsMohamed Abdilaahi had never won a Diamond League race before Saturday. At the season opener in Shaoxing he was paced through 2000 m in 5:00.4, took the lead and ran away from a men's 3000 m field that will not be forgotten quickly. His 7:25.77 is a meeting record and a German record by five seconds; the old mark had stood since 1998. Reynold Cheruiyot of Kenya was second in a personal best 7:26.11 and Sweden's Andreas Almgren third in a national record 7:26.48. Fourteen men broke 7:30, the greatest depth in any 3000 m ever run.
The women's steeplechase was decided by a hundredth. Peruth Chemutai led from the gun and held off Faith Cherotich, the world champion, 8:51.47 to 8:51.48, in a photo finish. Tunisia's Marwa Bouzayani ran a national record of 8:58.09 and Ethiopia's Kena Tufa 8:59.66, taking more than 30 seconds off her best; they are the 16th and 17th women to break nine minutes.
Mark English of Ireland won the men's 800 m in 1:43.85, the second-fastest time of his career and a meeting record, with Botswana's Kethobogile Haingura 1:43.89 and Brandon Miller 1:44.00. The first six were separated by a third of a second.
In the sprints Shericka Jackson won the women's 200 m in 22.07, Nickisha Pryce the 400 m in 49.75 by three hundredths from Aaliyah Butler, and Masai Russell the 100 m hurdles in a meeting record 12.25, a time Devynne Charlton matched for second.
The first night of the summer, and the deepest 3000 m in history. The pace of the sport is not slowing down.
Sources: Wanda Diamond League; World Athletics.
