Laura Muir breaks British 1500m best as world records fall at Paris Diamond League

Laura Muir broke the British women’s 1500m record in style while double Olympic gold medallist Faith Kipyegon improved her own world record in the event in the final race of the Paris Diamond League.

The Kenyan clocked 3:49.04 to break her previous mark of 3:49.11, which she set last June in Florence, while Muir came third in 3:53.79 to improve her own British record.

For Kipyegon, who won gold at the last two Olympics as well as the 2017, 2022 and 2023 world titles, it was her first Diamond League appearance of the season and she remains the firm favourite for another Olympic gold this year.

“I knew the world record was possible because I recently ran very fast in Kenya,” said Kipyegon, who clocked 3:53.98 at Kenya’s Olympic Trials. “I was coming here to just run my race and to see what shape I’m in to defend my title at the Olympics.”

Australian Jessica Hull came in second at 3:50.83 with a personal best that set an Oceanic 1500m record, just ahead of Muir, as 10 runners set personal bests in the race just weeks ahead of Paris 2024.

“Jessica was really good, I felt that she was behind me and I had to be careful because you never know if something can happen,” Kipyegon added. “But I just relaxed and ran my race. I knew that she is strong because she has broken the area record many times.”

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Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh set a world record in the women’s high jump earlier on Sunday, clearing 2.10m to break a mark that has stood since 1987.

The 22-year-old outperformed the world indoor champion, Australia’s Nicola Olyslagers, with both competitors clearing the 2.01m height on their second attempts. While Olyslagers failed to clear 2.03m in three attempts, Mahuchikh succeeded on her second try.

Mahuchikh, who took bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, raised the bar to 2.07m and cleared it again on her second attempt, setting a Ukrainian record. She then elevated the bar to 2.10m, which she cleared on her first try, earning applause from the audience at Stade Charlety in southern Paris as she bettered Bulgarian Stefka Kostadinova’s record from 1987 by 1cm.

“Finally, I signed Ukraine into the history of world athletics,” said Mahuchikh, who fled her home city of Dnipro in early 2022 after the Russian invasion.

Reuters