Ethiopian athletes lead clash of world record-holders in Paris 5000m

Addis Ababa, June 8, 2023 (FBC) – Ethiopian long distance runners lead the clash of world record-holders in Paris 5000m in both men and women categories.

It is anticipated that the women’s 5000m line-up at the Meeting de Paris – the French stop on the Wanda Diamond League on Friday (9) – is arguably better than any global championships start list.

Ethiopian record holder athletes Letesenbet Gidey and Ejgayehu Taye will take on Beatrice Chepkoech and Faith Kipyegon of Kenya who broke the 1500m record last week in Florence, Italy.

World 10,000m champion Letesenbet Gidey of Ethiopia hasn’t raced since the World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst in February where she was leading up until the final 20 metres before her legs gave way. As the world record-holder over 5000m and 10,000m, the 25-year-old Ethiopian will be keen to put in a strong showing to show that her Bathurst performance was but a blip.

Ejigayehu Taye holds the world record for the road 5km at 14:19, but is also an accomplished performer on the track. She set an African 3000m record of 8:19.52 in 2021, and last year she held the world-leading 5000m mark of 14:12.98.

Chepkoech is the fourth world record-holder in the field. The Kenyan holds the steeplechase world record and is the 2019 world champion at that distance, but she is internationally competitive in flat events too, having earned Commonwealth 1500m silver in 2018. She has a 5000m PB of 14:39.33 and previously held the world road 5km record.

But these four women are just the tip of an incredibly high-quality iceberg that is the 5000m in Paris.

The line-up also includes world indoor 3000m champion Lemlem Hailu of Ethiopia, Olympic 1500m silver medalist Laura Muir of Great Britain, 2019 world silver medalist Margaret Kipkemboi, world cross-country bronze medalist Agnes Ngetich, North American 10,000m record-holder Alicia Monson, and up-and-coming Kenyan Grace Loibach Nawowuna, who recently clocked 29:47.42 for 10,000m.

That’s still not all. Ethiopian duo Diribe Welteji and Freweyni Hailu – both of whom are 800m and 1500m specialists – will be making their 5000m debut.

A clash of the titans with other sub-plots and storylines, this race has the potential to be one of the big talking points of the year.

Having temporarily shifted his focus to running on the flat – and to great effect – Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma will return to the steeplechase in Paris.

The Ethiopian broke the long-standing world indoor 3000m record earlier this year, and last month he opened his outdoor campaign with a victory over that same distance in Doha. The world and Olympic silver medalist will now try to put some of his new-found speed to use over the barriers.

He’ll face Kenyan duo Abraham Kibiwot and Benjamin Kigen, Japanese record-holder Ryuji Miura, Ethiopia’s Hailemariyam Amare, France’s Djilali Bedrani and Spain’s Fernando Carro.