Chepng'etich and Kiprop reign supreme in Eugene

World 1,500m silver medallist Faith Chepng’etich and World 1,500m champion Asbel Kiprop tore their respective fields to shreds to reign supreme during the Prefontaine Classic, Eugene, USA on Saturday night.

Just a fortnight after breaking her own national record at Shanghai, Chepng’etich, who is also the Commonwealth champion, further improved on her time by 0.41 seconds after clocking a world leading time of 3 minutes and 56.41 seconds.

The feat by the 2011 World Youth and 2012 World junior 1,500m champion was enough to also set a new championship record.

Chepng’etich, the 2011 and 2013 World Cross junior champion, had improved her three-year-old national record of 3:56.98 when she eased off to victory in 3:56.82 in Shanghai on May 14.

CLOCKED PERSONAL BESTS

Chepng’etich stayed behind the pacesetter before taking control in the later stages of the race to win in the fourth leg of the Diamond League, beating Dawit Seyaum and 19-year-old Gudaf Tsegay over the last lap. The Ethiopian clocked personal bests of 3:58.10 and 4:00.18.

Kiprop, who was once again unchallenged, won the Bowerman Mile in 3:51.45. Fresh from wining his 1,500m race in Doha, Kiprop moved from fourth to second on the back straight of the final lap before settling in behind Morocco’s Abdelaati Iguider.

He then stayed on Iguider’s shoulder through the final turn before making a confident move to the front all the way to victory, beating Iguider to second in 3:51.96.

Earlier on, after finishing behind Chepng’etich in Shanghai, the 2013 World 1,500m bronze medallsit Hellen Obiri, who is also the 2012 World Indoor 3,000m champion, switched gears to win her 5,000m race in 14:32.02.

Viola Kibiwott and World 10,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot wrapped up the podium places in 14:35.13 and 14:35.69 respectively. 2013 World 5,000m silver medallist Mercy Cherono, who finished second in Shanghai in 3,000m, settled fourth in 14:37.08.

Kenyans lost the men’s 5,000m, 800m, 10,000m and javelin battle as well as women’s 3,000m steeplechase even though the 10,000m event didn’t count for the Diamond League points.

Two times reigning World half Marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor finished second in the 5,000m race in 12:59.98, losing the contest to Ethiopia’s Muktar Edris, who clocked 12:59.43, his second consecutive Diamond Race victory after Shanghai.

The 2015 Worlds javelin silver medallist Ihab Abelrahman of Egypt set a meeting and stadium record of 87.37m with his final throw, snatching victory from training partner and World champion Kenya’s Julius Yego. Abelrahman’s throw equalled the world-lead set by Germany’s Thomas Rohler in Ostrava eight days ago.

Yego led the competition since the opening round when he posted a mark of 84.68m, itself a meet record, but couldn’t respond with his own final throw. Rohler, on this occasion, finished third with 82.53m.

Ferguson Rotich, winner in Shanghai, was forced to in men’s 800m race in 1:44.56, losing the battle to home athlete Boris Berian in 1:44.20. The 2013 World champion Aman Mohammed from Ethiopia came in third in 1:44.70.

World and Olympic champion Mo Farah claimed men’s 10,000m race in 26:53.71, beating Kenya’s William Sitonik to second in 26:54.66.

World 3,000m steeplechase champion Hyvin Kiyeng lost her race to Kenyan born Ruth Jebet from Bahrain, returning 9:00.01 against 8:59.97. The results was a reverse from Shanghai where Kiyeng won with Jebet settling second.