The Diamond League In Paris Lived Up To The Billing With Some Epic Efforts

With two world records and some serious fast racing, the Diamond League meeting in Paris lived up to the billing.

Jul 9, 2024 by Brett Haffner

The Diamond League In Paris Lived Up To The Billing With Some Epic Efforts

After last year’s Diamond League meeting in Paris saw two world records broken, it seemed unlikely that this year’s meeting would live up to the hype.

But both Faith Kipyegon and Yaroslava Mahuchikh made sure to deny that thought, as they both set a new world record in their respective events, the 1,500 meters and the high jump.

The star billing for this dress rehearsal for the Paris Olympics certainly brought the heat, giving the Paris crowd a preview for what’s to come in just about a month.

Faith Kipyegon Resets Her Own 1,500m World Record

From the gun, it was crystal clear that Kipyegon was going to do something special in the women’s 1,500 meters.

After the pacesetters came through 800m in 2:03 -- an absolutely blistering pace -- Kipyegon took the race by the horns and continued to throw down from the front. She ultimately closed her final 400m in 59 seconds to finish in 3:49.04, which was just enough to eclipse her previous world record of 3:49.11.

Kipyegon running this fast was not a surprise, as she’s been the marquee woman to dominate this event over the last few years.

The surprise, however, was how Jessica Hull ran nearly the entire race right behind Kipyegon. Sticking on Kipyegon’s shoulder through the blazing pace worked out spectacularly, as she was well-rewarded for her efforts.

Hull would ultimately run a five-second personal best, running 3:50.83, which set a new Australian Record and saw her become the fifth-fastest woman of all time in the 1,500 meters.

Not to be forgotten about, wasLaura Muir, who also set a British Record with a new personal best of 3:53.79, finishing third.

While she didn’t make the bold move to try and run with Kipyegon and Hull, her strategy seemed to pay off quite well in running her own race, resulting in her personal best and a national record.

By the numbers:

12 of 13 women in this race broke 4:00
10 of those women ran personal bests
Four of them set national records
One World Record was broken

What a spectacular day.

Yaroslava Mahuchikh Sets World Record In Women’s High Jump

In the other major highlight from the Paris Diamond League meeting, the women’s high jump had a very exciting finish, thanks to Mahuchikh’s incredible series of jumps.

After never missing more than once on five consecutive heights, being the lone woman to clear 2.03m on the day, Mahuchikh opted to skip 2.05m and instead go for 2.07m.

Nobody else in the world had jumped higher than 2.04m in 2024, so this was entering a new territory.

The reigning World champion had one miss over 2.07m, but she cleared it on her next attempt, setting a new personal best.

She wasn’t quite done.

With the world record sitting at 2.09m, Mahuchikh made the bold attempt to set the bar at 2.10m, just above a mark which was set in 1987 by Stefka Kostadinova.

She cleared the bar on her first attempt, setting a new world record with ease.

After ending her day on a great note, Mahuchikh has given herself some great momentum heading into the Olympics, in aims of a gold medal.

Daniel Sedjati Runs No. 3 All-Time Mark in Men’s 800m, Three Men Break 1:42

In one of the deepest men’s 800 meter fields of all time, it was Daniel Sedjati who squeaked out the victory in the end, running 1:41.56 to run a massive personal best, just ahead of Emmanuel Wanyonyi who ran 1:41.58 and local favorite Gabriel Tual, who was third in 1:41.61.

After the pacemakers brought out the field in a staggering 48 seconds through 400 meters, it was evident the race would be fast, but more so a matter of who could hold on.

Wanyonyi led the charge over the final lap, but Sedjati had a good burst coming off the final curve in the last 100 meters, seizing the lead but barely holding off Wanyonyi by .02, with Tual finishing right with them.

Having three men run under 1:42 in the same race is undoubtedly very impressive, especially when you consider that Sedjati and Tual’s former personal bests were in the 1:43s prior to this breakout race.

Not to be lost behind them, but Aaron Kemei Cheminingwa and Wycliffe Kinyamal each ran 1:42.08, putting three Kenyans at or below that mark in the same race, plus Eliott Crestan clocked a time of 1:42.43, setting a Belgian National Record.

With six men going under 1:43 in this race, this may have been the deepest men’s 800 ever to be contested, rivaling the epic 2012 Olympics in London, where David Rudisha broke the world record.

FloTrack Is The Streaming Home For Many Track And Field Meets Each Year

Don’t miss all the track and field season action streaming on FloTrack. Check out the FloTrack schedule for more events.

FloTrack Archived Footage

Video footage from each event will be archived and stored in a video library for FloTrack subscribers to watch for the duration of their subscriptions.