“Guerrouj was much faster than all the others and he won by leading the races from the start. That is my goal, to be good enough to do that,” says Jakob Ingebrigtsen. in ‘Athletics Weekly’ when asked by the 1,500 world record holder (3:26.00). “I won’t be 100% satisfied until I’m the fastest in history”, he repeats constantly the prodigy from Sandnes who at 22 is already a world, Olympic and European champion. The Norwegian ogre, who announced that he would retire with ten world records (he already has two), came to the Lausanne Diamond League with the European record for the very warm distance after doing 3:27.95 in Oslo two weeks ago.
That best current time of Ingebrigtsen is worse than the best nine of the Moroccan phenomenon in the distance, something that puts Hicham in great value. To get closer, two hares with enormous guarantees: the American Eric Sowinski and the Frenchman Mounir Akbacher, who were asked a demanding pace very similar to those of July 14, 1998 in Rome: 55.5 the 400, 1:51.7 the 800 , and 2:19.0 the 1,000 (El Guerrouj passed in 2:18.8). “There is only one chance to run as fast as you can in each race”, Ingebrigtsen often says with a smile on her face. And in Lausanne, in addition to having Hicham on the horizon, he faced the Ethiopian Lamecha Girma, world record holder over 3,000 obstacles, an adversary who could squeeze him.
After the starting gun, the planned script with Ingebrigtsen behind the hares that did not exactly comply with what was requested and the two tenths that were left on the way meant that when they withdrew, the Nordic ogre will take command with absolute control, but without opting for a historic time, to demonstrate his dominance by taking off in the final stretch to achieve the most cautious objective that is set, the record of the Swiss meeting. Triumph with 3:28.72. Guerrouj will celebrate the 25th anniversary of the record.
SENSATIONAL 5,000.
Exhibition of the Ethiopian Berihu Aregawi (22 years old) in a demonstration of power setting an impressive pace after abandoning the hares to leave behind rivals and, in addition, hold on in the final sprint to the world record holder, the Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei (12:35.36) , to win with 12:40.45, the fifth best time in history and the best world record of 2023… signing 55.68 in the last 400 meters. Great speed that was also reflected in the duel in the 100 hurdles between the Puerto Rican Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (Olympic champion) with 12.40 and the Nigerian Tobi Amusan (world champion) with 12.47. In the men’s homonymous event, 110 hurdles, the only Spaniard present in Lausanne, Quique Llopis was fifth with 13.43.
In the 200, victory of the Botswana Letsile Tebogo (20 years old), who last year broke the sub-20 world record of 100 meters with 9.91, with 20.01 demonstrating that he is a sprinter to take into account for both tests in the most high elite. AND If we talk about talent, what can we say about the Dutch Femke Bol (23). Thirteenth victory in as many races in 2023. In Switzerland she took the 400 hurdles with 52.76. Back below 53.
