Faith Kipyegon smashes 1500m world record in Diamond League meeting

Faith Kipyegon set a women’s 1500 metres world record, clocking 3:49.11 at the third Diamond League meeting of the season in Florence on Friday.

The Kenyan athlete, winner of the last two Olympic 1500m golds and the 2017 and 2022 world titles, bettered the previous mark of 3:50.07 set by Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba in 2015.

Kipyegon finished well ahead of Britain’s second-placed Laura Muir and the Australian Jessica Hull in third, with Kipyegon’s rivals crowding around to congratulate her after the race.

“I’m so happy for Faith,” Muir said. “I would have loved to be closer to her. But for the first race of the season this is really decent. I have never gone through the first 800m as fast as today.”

There was disappointment for Dina Asher-Smith, who pulled out of the women’s 100m at the last minute. Asher-Smith, third last time out in Qatar, had been among the favourites in the race but was forced to miss it after suffering from cramp in the blocks.

“Other than that all good, but I didn’t want to risk anything today,” the 27-year-old wrote on social media. “Frustrated as I was SO excited to race and felt really good, but had to make a sensible call for the bigger picture! On to Paris.”

In her absence, Marie-Josee Ta Lou won it from Gina Luckenkemper, with Britain’s Imani-Lara Lansiquot taking third.

The American Fred Kerley made the men’s 100m look easy in the absence of the Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs on home turf. The world champion still has not been beaten this season, although his time of 9.94 seconds left room for improvement.