Chepkoech shatters 3000m steeplechase record in Monaco

MONTE CARLO, July 21 

Kenya’s Beatrice Chepkoech obliterated the world record in the women’s 3000m steeplechase by more than eight seconds in a stunning Monaco Diamond League meeting. 

Six other season leading performances were set or tied in the meet. Already the fastest in the world this year, Chepkoech, 27, won in a time of 8 minutes, 44.32 seconds to break the previous record mark of 8:52.78 set by Bahrain’s Ruth Jebet in 2016. 

Chepkoech, whose previous best time was 8:59.36 in Paris last month, finished fourth in both the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2017 London World Championships. American World Championships silver medallist Courtney Frerichs finished second in a North American record of 9:00.85.

American Noah Lyles added a personal best in the 200m, running 19.65 seconds for another season-leading performance.

In other world leading runs for 2018, Bahamian Olympics 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo ran a lifetime best 48.97 seconds, Botswana’s Nijel Amos won the 800m in 1m 42.14s and Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot clocked 3m 28.41s in the 1500m. Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali took the men’s steeplechase in 7m 58.15s and Russia’s Danil Lysenko equalled the season’s best in the high jump with a leap of 2.40m. 

Semenya dominates

Caster Semenya continued her dominance of the women’s 800m, winning her 26th consecutive final in 1m 54.60s. The South African has not lost over the distance since 2015.

• 8  Beatrice Chepkoech is eight seconds faster than every other woman in history — and 14 seconds faster than every other woman not linked to doping

— Reuters