Kipyegon eyes 1,500m world record in Rome as Omanyala, Kerley renew their rivalry
Faith Kipyegon reacts after winning Olympics 1500m gold on August 10, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Fresh from defending her gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games, Kipyegon has good memories of Italy.
- Not even her record third straight gold medal at the Olympics appears to have satiated Kipyegon.
Three-time Olympics 1,500m champion Faith Kipyegon has hinted that she will be seeking to produce her best performance over the distance on Friday night at the Rome Diamond League.
Kipyegon, a three-time Olympic 1,500m Olympics champion, will be seeking to extend her dominance over the distance in Rome on a night when Commonwealth Games 100m champion, Ferdinand Omanyala will also be in action.
Fresh from defending her gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games, Kipyegon has good memories of Italy.
She broke broke the 1,500m world record in Florence, Italy on June 2, 2023, Kipyegon in a time of three minutes and 49.11 seconds.
The old record of 3:50.07 belonged to Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia.
Then on July 7, 2023, Kipyego further lowered the world mark to 3:49.04 at the Paris Diamond League.
Not even winning a record third straight gold medal at the Olympics over the distance appears to have satiated Kipyegon.
“Records are there to be broken. The season is still on, you haven’t seen anything yet. There are more good things coming,” said Kipyegon when arrived home from Paris early this month.
Kipyegon, who resumed training immediately after the Olympic Games, has hinted at greater performances over the distance.
She will be up against her compatriot Nelly Jepchirchir, who won women’s 1,000m race at Silesia Diamond League on August 25.
The women's 1,500m race at Rome Diamond League will start at 11:37pm (Kenyan time).
At the same time, Omanyala will be looking to put his below par performance at the Olympics behind him.
Omanyala, with a personal best of 9.77 seconds, will be up against 2023 World Athletics Championships gold medalist Fred Kerley of the US, with whom he has a long-standing rivalry.
The star-studded line up with also include freshly-minted Olympics 200m champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, 2020 Olympics 100m champion Marcel Jacobs of Italy, and three-time world 100m champion Chris Coleman of USA. The race will start at 11:52pm (Kenyan time).
Nicholas Kipkorir (12:46.33), Jacob Krop (12:45.71) and Ronald Kwemoi (13:02.56) will feature in men’s the 5,000m race.
But it won’t be easy for the Kenyan athletes despite the absence of Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen with top names from Ethiopia in the fray. They include Aregawi Berihu (12:40.45), Selemon Barega (12:43.02), and Yomif Kejelcha (12:38.95).
In the women's 3,000m steeplechase, Olympics bronze medalist Faith Cherotich will battle it out with Olympics champion, Kenyan-born-Bahraini Winfred Yavi.
Olympics silver medalist Peruth Chemutai of Uganda and Kenyan-born Kazakhstani Norah Jeruto will also compete in the race.
Rome Diamond League is the 13th competition in the 15-leg Wanda Diamond league Series.
Zurich (September ) and Brussels (September 13 and 14) will host the two remaining legs of the series this season.
