Ethiopian runs 7:52.11 for 3000m chase at a spectacular Paris Diamond League event on Friday

On a magical night of world record-breaking at the Paris Diamond League, Lamecha Girma broke the 19-year-old steeplechase mark held by Saif Saaeed Shaheen with 7:52.11.

Following a world best for two miles from Jakob Ingebrigtsen and world 5000m record by Faith Kipyegon, Girma took to the track in the penultimate event of a remarkable evening and the Ethiopian glided around the track to beat Shaheens 7:53.63, which was set in Brussels in 2004.

Earlier this year Girma broke Daniel Komens long-standing world indoor 3000m record with 7:23.81 in Lievin. And here he returned to France looking for another global mark.

Passing 1000m in 2:37.7 and 2000m in 5:12.5, he was already on his own and looking in supreme form as he continued his attack on Shaheens mark.

Paris sees its third world record of the night as Lamecha Girma of Ethiopia runs 7:52.11 to take down Saif Saaeed Shaheens 19-year-old mark by just over a second in the 3000m steeplechase. pic.twitter.com/aecnHSZ3y8

AW (@AthleticsWeekly) June 9, 2023

On the final lap it became clear he was going to break the record as he was a few metres ahead of the Wavelight pacing system. So it proved as he stormed home, finishing 17 seconds ahead of Ryuji Miura, who ran a Japanese record of 8:09.91 in second.

Missing from this race was Soufiane El Bakkali, but the Moroccan is in good form himself and a head to head would be a mouth-watering prospect.

The duo finished one-two at the Olympics and last years World Championships with El Bakkali coming out top each time.

One week after breaking 1500m mark she runs fastest 5000m of all-time in epic head-to-head with Letesenbet Gidey at Paris Diamond League

It is only early June but Faith Kipyegon has already put together a brilliant case for being named athlete of the year already. One week after breaking the world 1500m record with a ground-breaking 3:49.11, the Kenyan supermum set another world record this time over 5000m with 14:05.20 at the Diamond League in Paris.

It came after a tremendous duel with Letesenbet Gidey, who held the world record for this distance, plus 10,000m and half-marathon, until tonight (June 9). Pushing the pace for much of the latter stages, the Ethiopian went down fighting and produced a super-fast time of her own in second place with 14:07.94.

Behind, Ejgayehu Taye the world 5km record-holder from Ethiopia ran 14:13.31 in third, Lilian Rengeruk of Kenya clocked 14:23.05 in fourth, Freweyni Hailu of Ethiopia 14:23.45 in fifth and Margaret Kipkemboi of Kenya 14:23.67 in sixth as Britains Laura Muir wound up 11^th in 14:48.14, narrowly beating a PB which was set indoors.

Remarkably this was Kipyegons first 5000m since 2015 and she slaughtered her 14:31.95 PB during what proved to be the race of the night at a power-packed Diamond League that saw three world records in total.

Kipyegons early splits saw her run 2:53.1 for 1000m, 4:35.2 for 1600m, 5:42.6 for 2000m and 8:32.1 for 3000m, but it was her closing speed that drew gasps of admiration. After taking the lead from Gidey on the penultimate lap, Kipyegon began to wind up the pace in the last 400m and her final lap was 60.9 and her last 200m was 28.6 as Gideys challenge finally faltered.

Gideys record of 14:06.62 was set in Valencia in 2020 but despite this red-hot field in Paris it was not particularly expected to fall. No one quite knew how Kipyegon would handle the 12-and-a-half-lap distance either.

I did not think about the world record, said Kipyegon, I do not know how I made it. I just focused on the green light and tried to stay relaxed and enjoy the race.

The winner added: I just did the race and wanted to see what happens. When I saw that it was a world record I was so surprised! It was all about giving my best. I just wanted to improve on my PB, the world record was not my plan.

I just ran after Gidey she is an amazing lady. It is amazing. I do not know what will be next, I still have to discuss it with my coach and my management. I am so happy, I am very emotional right now and do not know what to say. If my body is healthy, anything is possible.

Who knows whats possible for Kipyegon in future after her performances this month. The 29-year-old has won two Olympic and two world titles over 1500m, so will she chase a hat-trick in Paris next year, or will she continue to move up in distance and settle at 5000m?

She has made no secret of the fact she fancies tackling a marathon before she retires too!

British 800m mark falls in Hodgkinsons first race of the summer at the Diamond League on Friday

Keely Hodgkinson threatened to start her summer season with a bang but even the 21-year-old looked surprised when she ran away from a world-class field to break her British 800m record at the Diamond League in Paris on Friday (June 9).

With 1:55.77, Hodgkinson improved her national record of 1:55.88, which was set when finish runner-up to Athing Mu in the Olympic final in 2021. However it was the way the Briton demolished her rivals that was just as impressive as the time.

Following pacemaker Patrycja Wyciszkiewicz-Zawadzka through 400m in 57.3, Hodgkinson looked keen to take the lead with 300m to go and, moving past the rabbit, she had already created daylight on the rest of the field.

Hitting 600m in 86.5 with a decent lead, it was clear Hodgkinson was on for a special run and she finished strongly for a meeting record and world-leading mark.

Ajee Wilson of the United States was runner-up in 1:58.16 with Natoya Goule of Jamaica third in 1:58.23 and Catriona Bisset of Australia fourth in 1:58.55 as the top nine runners broke two minutes.

I just wanted to commit today. Then when I saw the lights go behind me, I thought OMG keep going!@keelyhodgkinson after her UK 800m record of 1:55.77 in Paris. @stuartweir pic.twitter.com/tGOjlUFrZi

AW (@AthleticsWeekly) June 9, 2023

I am a little bit shocked that I ran so fast, said Hodgkinson. Paris next year, I will definitely be back.

The weather was really nice, so warm. I had heard good things about the track. With this full stadium and the great crowd, it was amazing. I am so happy.

Now the aim is to stay healthy, we still have to see, I want to keep running fast. The focus is on the summer, on Budapest. What is next with such a fast time early in the season? Well, I do not know. Hopefully I will run even faster.

She is due to race over 400m at next weekends England Athletics Under-23 Championships in Chelmsford before tackling the Diamond League events in Lausanne and London.

Olympic 1500m champion slices four seconds off Daniel Komens 1997 mark at Diamond League in Paris

Daniel Komens world best for two miles of 7:58.61 dates back to July 1997. While it is not a particularly popular distance, it has survived attacks from Haile Gebrselassie, Joshua Cheptegei, Eliud Kipchoge and Mo Farah over the years.

On Friday (June 9) in Paris, though, Jakob Ingebrigtsen took more than four seconds off the Kenyans mark with 7:54.10.

Paced by Benoit Campion and then Kyumbe Mungti until just after 2000m, Ingebrigtsen started steadily with a first mile of 4:00.3 before closing with a superb 3:53.8. As he passed 3000m in 7:23.8 compared to Komens 7:27.3 it was clear the record was his.

Being able to make this record feels amazing, said Ingebrigtsen. It is my first world best outdoors. The pace felt very smooth for me, coming out of the 1500m.

The public was amazing, without their help, it would have been more difficult. I was a bit surprised about the time in the end.

On finishing so strongly, he said: We started off considerably slow but you come to realise that thats the way to do it.

When Komen ran his record in Hechtel, Belgium, 26 years ago he ran splits of 3:59.2 and 3:59.4 and it came 43 years after Roger Bannister ran the worlds first sub-four-minute mile.

When asked by AW what his best distance is, Ingebrigtsen said probably 3000m given that hes a strength-based runner. I feel like Im going down to the 1500m, he added.

We started off considerably slow, but you come to realise thats the way to do it!

Jakob Ingebrigtsen after breaking the two miles WR in Paris with 7:54.10. @stuartweir pic.twitter.com/LKrrDSsGrf

AW (@AthleticsWeekly) June 9, 2023

The 1500m is possibly his favourite distance, however, as hes not a fan of the lengthy pain involved over 3000m and 5000m.

At the moment the 3000m is one of my better events but Im a man of every distance, he explained. I want to run fast at everything. The 1500m is not that exhausting compared to 3km and 5km but its more demanding physically.

Runner-up Ishmael Rokitto of Kenya was a long way behind in 8:09.23 followed by Kuma Girma of Ethiopia, Justin Koech of Kenya and recent Night of the 10,000m PBs winner Paul Chelimo of the United States in fifth.