[ad_1]
From left to right: Gudaf Tsegay from Ethiopia, Kibiwott Kandie and Beatrice Chepkoech from Kenya. / CFP
From left to right: Gudaf Tsegay from Ethiopia, Kibiwott Kandie and Beatrice Chepkoech from Kenya. / CFP
Middle-distance runner Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia and long-distance runners Beatrice Chepkoech and Kibiwott Kandie of Kenya had their world records ratified by World Athletics, the world track and field organizing body, on Friday.
Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia celebrates after breaking the 1,500 meter women’s world record at Arena Stade Couvert in Lievin, France on February 9, 2021. / CFP
Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia celebrates after breaking the 1,500 meter women’s world record at Arena Stade Couvert in Lievin, France on February 9, 2021. / CFP
On February 9, Tsegay clocked 3: 53.09 in a women’s 1,500-meter indoor race, breaking the world record set by compatriot Genzebe Dibaba (3: 55.17).
Tsegay needed 58.97, 2: 05.94 and 2: 37.36 to finish the first 400, 800 and 1,000 meters of the race respectively. He completed the last lap in 30 seconds before breaking Dibaba’s record by nearly two seconds.
“I’ve been training really hard and I set myself the goal of breaking the indoor world record. I had this record in my mind for a long time, maybe six or seven years,” Tsegay said.
Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya celebrates her victory in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Doha, Qatar, on September 30, 2019. / CFP
Beatrice Chepkoech of Kenya celebrates her victory in the women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in Doha, Qatar, on September 30, 2019. / CFP
Chepkoech already held the 3,000-meter women’s steeplechase world record (8: 44.32) and added another accolade to her list after finishing the women’s 5-kilometer race at Monaco Run on February 14 at 14:43.
The women’s 5km race was introduced as a world record event in November 2017. With the popularity of the road race growing in recent years, the event’s world record is continually updated. Before Chepkoech, the honor belonged to the Ethiopian-born Dutch runner Sifan Hassan (14:44).
“I’m very happy because I wasn’t expecting it. It was cold and windy, but I tried to follow my pacemaker and everything was perfect,” Chepkoech said.
Kibiwott Kandie (C) from Kenya finishes the Valencia Half Marathon in 57:32 in Valencia, Spain, December 6, 2020. / CFP
Kibiwott Kandie (C) from Kenya finishes the Valencia Half Marathon in 57:32 in Valencia, Spain, December 6, 2020. / CFP
When Kandie clocked 57:32 in the Valencia Trinidad Alfonso EDP Half Marathon on December 6, 2020, he not only broke the event’s world record, but also became the first man to finish a half marathon in less than 58 minutes. .
The leading group reached 3 km, 5 km, 10 km and 15 km at 8:05, 13:37 and 41:10 respectively. Kandie was still behind Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo before the last 900 meters. However, Kandie reversed the situation and maintained control on the final 500m stage before breaking Geoffrey Kamworor’s record of 58:01.
Jacob Kiplimo, Rhonex Kipruto and Alexander Mutiso also broke that record in the same race.
“I can’t believe it, I have broken Kamworor’s world record by half a minute. Today is a great day for me and also for Kenya,” Kandie said.
