Mahuchikh, Kipyegon set world records in perfect Olympics boost

PARIS — Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Kenyan Faith Kipyegon hit world record-breaking form at Sunday's Diamond League meet in Paris in the perfect boost before the Olympics kick off in three weeks' time in the French capital.

Mahuchikh broke the 37-year-old women's high jump world record, while Kipyegon improved her own record in the women's 1,500m, two results that will make them two of the stars to watch in Paris.

World champion Mahuchikh set a new best of 2.10 meters, beating by 1 cm the record set by Bulgaria's Stefka Kostadinova at the 1987 world championships in Rome.

"Coming into this competition, I had feelings that I could jump 2.07m and maybe 2.10m," said Mahuchikh.

"Finally, I signed Ukraine into the history of world athletics."

In the 1,500, led out by two pacemakers, two-time defending Olympic champion Kipyegon broke to the front and clocked 3 min 49.04 sec in a superb display of running. It improved by 0.07 sec her previous best set in Florence in June 2023.

"Wow this is just amazing! I am so happy to break the world record over my favorite distance again," said Kipyegon.

"I can't wait to come back to Paris to defend my Olympic title!"

Sweden's Armand "Mondo "Duplantis went close in a bid to better his own pole vault world record in an afternoon of top-class track and field that featured a stunning men's 800m.

There was a distinctly Olympic tinge to proceedings at a packed Stade Charlety in southern Paris.

The stadium was awash with tricolor flags, Olympic mascots and a lot of blue after organizers asked fans to come dressed in the color to support home athletes.

Frenchman Sasha Zhoya responded, equaling his personal best of 13.15 sec to win the 110m hurdles in a photo finish from American Trey Cunningham.

The two world records notwithstanding, the stand-out race was the men's 800m.

Algeria's world silver medalist Djamel Sedjati edged in-form Kenyan teenager Emmanuel Wanyonyi by two-hundredths of a second to win a thriller in 1 min 41.56 sec.

France's European champion Gabriel Tual claimed third in a national record of 1:41.61 as all top eight finishers set personal bests.

The podium's times were the third, fourth and fifth fastest ever run. Only world record holder David Rudisha and Wilson Kipketer have gone faster. World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has now been pushed down into sixth place on the all-time list.

While Mahuchikh and Kipyegon set new world records, Duplantis went close to breaking his own in the pole vault.

Duplantis came in at 5.65m and passed at 5.75, with France's 2012 Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie — who has failed to get the qualifying mark for the Olympics — making an early exit from the competition.

The US-born Swede then sailed over both 5.85 and 5.95m.

American Sam Kendricks bailed out at the 6.00 m mark, but Duplantis went clear and the bar was raised to 6.25m, 1 cm higher than the world record. It proved to be too high.

"I felt really good, managed some really good jumps," said Duplantis.

"There was a lot of height out there and that gives me a lot of confidence. I look forward to the next one.

"I think the Olympics is going to be amazing because the energy has already been amazing in this run up to the Games."

AFP