WEEKLY WRAP: Kipyegon leading the way

The sensationally speedy performances continued on tracks across Europe at the final Diamond League meets ahead of the World Athletics Championships, with Kenya’s middle-distance queen Faith Kipyegon leading the way.

We take a look at which African athletes have laid down their markers ahead of the global showpiece…

FLEET-FOOTED FAITH DOES IT AGAIN – MILE, MONACO DIAMOND LEAGUE

There was little doubt that Faith Kipyegon would achieve her mission of breaking the mile record when she took to the track in Monaco.

Having notched up record marks in both the 1 500m and 5 000m in the last seven weeks, few could bet against her.

And sure enough, the two-time Olympic champion delivered in spectacular fashion, taking over four seconds off the previous mark to obliterate the record in an astonishing time of 4:07.64.

KINYAMAL ECLIPSES FELLOW KENYAN OVER TWO LAPS – 800M, MONACO DIAMOND LEAGUE

Eighteen-year-old Kenyan Emmanual Wanyoni was looking for his third Diamond League victory of the season in Monaco. But it was his compatriot Wyclife Kinyamal who emerged victorious in the 800m.

The Commonwealth Games champion made his move with 200m to go to close the gap on Canadian Marco Arop, taking the lead down the home straight and powering to victory in 1:43.22 – so eclipsing Wanyoni’s fastest time in the world this year.

ANOTHER ETHIOPIAN CLEAN SWEEP – 5 000M, MONACO DIAMOND LEAGUE

The 5 000m has produced some quality races in the last few weeks and that trend continued in Monaco. This time it was world championship silver medallist Hagos Gebrhiwet who took the lead on the penultimate lap and delivered a personal best time of 12:42.18 to lead home a trio of Ethiopians.

World leader Berihu Aregawi was second in 12:42.58 and Telahun Haile Bekele third in 12:42.70, also a personal best.

MASSIVE PERSONAL BEST FOR KENYA’S KOECH – 3000M STEEPLE CHASE, MONACO DIAMOND LEAGUE

There was no hiding Simon Koech’s feelings on his performance in the 3 000m steeple chase in Monaco. The beaming 20-year-old Kenyan sliced a massive 14 seconds off his previous best time, dominating the race to win in 8:04.19 – the third fastest time in the world this year.

DR ZANGO SAVES HIS BEST FOR LAST – TRIPLE JUMP, MONACO DIAMOND LEAGUE

Burkina Faso’s first ever Olympic medallist, Hugues Fabrice Zango, was lying third in the triple jump behind Jamaica’s 18-year-old Diamond League debutant Jaydon Hibbert when he lined up for his final effort in Monaco. It turned out the 30-year-old PhD graduate had saved his best for last, leaping 17.70m to clinch the win.

ANOTHER SPRINT SHOWDOWN COMMANDED BY AFRICANS – 100M, MONACO DIAMOND LEAGUE

As with so many of the sprint showdowns contested this season so far, all eyes were on the African athletes in the 100m in Monaco.

In the absence of South Africa’s Akani Simbine, who was a late withdrawal, a fascinating battle between Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala and Botswana’s young gun Letsile Tebogo ensued. Omanyala just edged it in 9.92 with Tebogo second in a season’s best 9.93.

TEBOGO SHATTERS ICONIC FREDERICKS MARK – 200M, LONDON DIAMOND LEAGUE

Tebogo was back in Diamond League action just a few days later in London, this time in a thrilling 200m race. American Noah Lyles blitzed his way to a world-leading, meet record time of 19.47 on his way to victory.

But in pushing him all the way and securing second spot in a time of 19.50, Tebogo broke Namibian Frankie Fredericks’s 27-year-old continental mark set on his way to Olympic silver at the Atlanta Games in 1996.

SPEEDY TA LOU TEARS UP THE LONDON TRACK – 100M, LONDON DIAMOND LEAGUE

Ivory Coast’s Marie-Josée Ta Lou continues to produce consistently impressive speed over 100m. The 34-year-old blazed to victory in 10.75 – so equalling her season’s best and beating Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s 10-year-old meet record. It’s also the third fastest time in the world this year.

CHEPKOECH ON TOP OF THE WORLD – 3 000M STEEPLE CHASE, LONDON DIAMOND LEAGUE

Up against her namesake, who just happens to be the world record holder, it turned out to be Jackline Chepkoech’s day. The 19-year-old cruised to victory in a personal best time and world-leading mark of 8:57.35, which was also a meet record, outgunning compatriot Beatrice Chepkoech in the process.

WAYDE WORKS HARD FOR THE WIN – 400M, LONDON DIAMOND LEAGUE

Wayde van Niekerk is doing his confidence levels the world of good with a growing list of wins in Europe. On his first return visit to the London track where he claimed the 2017 world title, the world record holder added another Diamond League victory to his haul, claiming the 400m title in a time of 44.36 after being pushed all the way by the American duo of Bryce Deadmon and Vernon Norwood.

TRIUMPH TIMED TO PERFECTION – 5 000M, LONDON DIAMOND LEAGUE

The hotly anticipated women’s 5 000m lived up to pre-meet hype with Ethiopia’s world champion Gudaf Tsegay biding her time and waiting until the home straight to overtake Olympic champion Sifan Hassan to claim victory in a meet record and personal best time of 14:12.29 – the fourth fastest time in history.

Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet was second in 14:12.92 while fourth-placed Ethiopian Medina Eisa’s time of 14:16.54 was a world junior record.

SA’S ADAMS REIGNS IN SPAIN – 200M, WORLD ATHLETICS CONTINENTAL TOUR, MADRID

2022 World Championships finalist Luxolo Adams continues to prove he’s another African athlete to keep an eye on in the sprints.

Competing in the 200m at the World Athletics Continental Tour meet in Madrid, the South African had some catching up to do down the home straight to reel in Jamaica’s Julian Forte, but he won comfortably in the end in 20.22 – not quite as quick as the season’s best he ran in Switzerland a few days earlier but a solid performance nonetheless.