Ingebrigtsen sets new world record for rarely

Paris (AFP) – Norway's Olympic 1500m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen set a stunning new world record over 2 miles at the Diamond League meeting in Paris on Friday.

Issued on: 09/06/2023 - 21:32

The 22-year-old clocked 7min 54.10sec in an incredible display in the rarely-run event, which is not an acknowledged Olympic or world distance.

The time smashed the previous best performance of 7:58.61 set by Kenyan Daniel Komen in July 1997 in Hechtel, Belgium.

Ingebrigtsen becomes just the second athlete after Komen to have covered 3,218m in under eight minutes, despite the best efforts of the likes of running legends Haile Gebrselassie, Mo Farah and Eliud Kipchoge over the distance.

Led out superbly by pacesetter Benoit Campion, the field made the most of a raucous crowd at the Stade Charlety and also the Wavelight technology, the moving lighting posted on the inside of the track that enables athletes to better adapt their pace.

Ingebrigtsen took the lead with two-and-a-half laps to run as the second pacesetter, Kyumbe Munguti, waved the Norwegian to the head of the lights as he bowed out.

Already the world record holder for 1500m indoors, Ingebrigtsen made no mistake running solo, storming through the finish line to shatter Komen's previous best and deliver a serious warning to rivals heading into the world championships in Budapest in August.

"Being able to make this record feels amazing. It is my first world best outdoors," Ingebrigtsen said.

"I was a bit surprised about the time in the end. The public was amazing, without their help, it would have been more difficult."

© 2023 AFP