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(MENAFN – IANS)
Lausanne, April 2 (IANS) Three of the world’s best athletes, Gudaf Tsegay, Beatrice Chepkoech and Kibiwott Kandie, have reason to cheer on the Olympic season after their world records in the 1,500 m and men’s 5 km and half marathon, respectively. they were ratified by World Athletics (WA), the world governing body for sport.
Tsegay had broken the 1,500m record at the Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais on February 9 this year, timing 3: 53.09 seconds to shave more than two seconds off the previous indoor world record of 3: 55.17 established by Ethiopia. compatriot Genzebe Dibaba in Karlsruhe on February 1, 2014.
World Championship bronze medalist Tsegay had a four-second lead with three laps to go, but showed no signs of fatigue, passing through 1,000m in 2: 37.36. He then dug deep into his reserves in the final two laps to set the world record.
“I’ve been training really hard and I set myself the goal of breaking the indoor world record,” said Tsegay. “I had this record in my mind for a long time, maybe six or seven years.”
For Chepkoech, this year’s Valentine’s Day became something very special, as he broke the world record for 5km in the Monaco Run. The 3,000m steeplechase world champion completed the 5km race in 14:43:00 sec, eclipsing the women’s record in a mixed race of 14:48 set by compatriot Caroline Kipkirui on September 8, 2018.
“I’m very happy because I wasn’t expecting it,” said Chepkoech, who broke the 3,000-meter steeplechase world record with a time of 8: 44.32 seconds also in Monaco in 2018.
Kenya’s Kandie raced in near-perfect condition on December 6 to make road history, timing 57:32 in the Valencia Trinidad Alfonso EDP Half Marathon, thus getting “revenge” for her loss seven weeks ago.
Running in near perfect condition on December 6, Kandie more than made up for her loss at the Gdynia World Championships in Athletics in Gdynia seven weeks ago, beating Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda.
Kiplimo had won the title in Gdynia but in Valencia, Kandie ran a great tactical race to break 29 seconds the previous world half marathon record of 58:01 on behalf of compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor (Copenhagen, September 15, 2019).
The race, in fact, was memorable as the next three finalists, Kiplimo (57:37), Rhonex Kipruto (57:49) and Alexander Mutiso (57:59), also fell below the previous record.
“I can’t believe it, I’ve broken Kamworor’s world record by half a minute,” Kandie had said beaming.
–IANS
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