Jakob Ingebrigtsen holds off Lamecha Girma to win 1,500m at Diamond League in Lausanne
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Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway clocked 3min 28.72sec to claim the men's 1,500m in Lausanne on June 30.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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LAUSANNE – The “extra miles” in training worked for Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, as he held off Lamecha Girma in a battle of world-record holders to win the men’s 1,500m at the Diamond League meet in Lausanne on Friday.
The 22-year-old, who broke the world mark in the seldom-run two-mile event in Paris in June, clocked 3min 28.72sec, less than a second off his personal best despite a chilly evening at Stade Olympique de la Pontaise.
“I have had to make some adjustments with my strategy, I have been putting in extra miles in the last couple of weeks,” he said.
“It’s all to get myself in the best shape possible for the world championships (which start on Aug 19 in Budapest).
“I did not win in Oregon and I am looking to address that in Budapest,” added the Norwegian, who was second in the 1,500m at the 2022 world meet.
Girma of Ethiopia, who crushed the world steeplechase record on the same June 9 Paris evening as Ingebrigtsen’s record run, was second in 3:29.51 – an Ethiopian record.
In other events, Berihu Aregawi of Ethiopia set a sizzling pace in the men’s 5,000m and then held off several challenges from Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei – including one final move from the world-record holder and Olympic champion down the home stretch – to win a nerve-jangling race in a world-leading time of 12:40.45.
“I am delighted to be here and to win against Joshua,” said the 22-year-old Aregawi, who narrowly missed becoming the fifth runner in history to dip under the 12:40 barrier. “It was a great atmosphere. I enjoyed this race.”
Letsile Tebogo of Botswana ran 20.01sec to win the men’s 200m. Canada’s Olympic champion Andre de Grasse was sixth in a slow 20.57.
Marie-Josee Ta Lou of Ivory Coast, a two-time silver medallist at the 2017 world meet, exploded out of the blocks and cruised to an easy victory in the women’s 100m in 10.88sec.
“I was happy with my race, but not really with my time,” she said. “I will have to work as usual with my coach. The conditions weren’t ideal, it was cold for me. But I’m happy at least I ran under the 11-second barrier.”
Two-time Olympic champion Ryan Crouser won the men’s shot put, but the American shook his head in frustration after his throw of 22.29m – well shy of his world-record 23.56m set at the Los Angeles Grand Prix in May.
REUTERS
