Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma shatters long-standing steeplechase world record

Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma is the new 3,000m steeplechase world record holder.

The 22-year-old Ethiopian shattered record, which has been standing for 18 years and nine months, on Friday at the Paris Diamond league meeting.

Girma stayed ahead of the lights to clock seven minutes and 52.11 seconds break the record previously held by Qatari Saif Saaeed Shaheen.

Shaheen, born Stephen Cherono in Kenya, clocked a world record of 7:53.63 in Brussels on September 3, 2004.

In Paris, Ryuji Muira from Japan finished second in a national record and personal best of 8:09.91 as Daniel Arce from Spain romped home third in personal best 8:10.63.

Girma, the 2019 and 2022 world 3,000m steeplechase silver medallist, had on February 15, this year broken the 25-year-old 3,000m indoor world record in Levin, France.

“I feel so happy and very proud. I felt so fast during the race, which gave me the confidence to move on,” said Girma, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medallist.

“The world record is not a surprise, I planned to beat it tonight in Paris. It's a result of full determination,” explained Girma, who will be taking his quest for more glory to Ostrava Golden Spike, a World Athletics Continental Gold Tour, on June 27 in the Czech Republic.

“I will run 1 500m and not steeplechase,” said Girma.

Girma's record breaking feat came moments after Kenya's Faith Kipyegon also broke the women's 5,000m world record in the same meeting.

Kipyegon clocked 14:05.20 at the Paris Diamond League, barely a week after shattering the 1500m record in Florence.

Meanwhile, paced by Kenya's Kyumbe Munguti, Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen also broke the world 2 mile record after timing 7:54.10 in Paris on Friday.