3 min readThey saved the best for last.
Two world records and two American records fell on the second of two days of competition at the Diamond League final in Eugene, Oregon, the last world class outdoor track meet of 2023.
Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia smashed the world record for the women’s 5,000 meters. She ran 14:00.21, taking nearly 5 seconds off the mark set in June by Faith Kipyegon of Kenya (14:05.20). Beatrice Chebet of Kenya was second in 14:05.92, almost under Kipyegon’s mark as well.
Tsegay, 26, had a leg injury after the 10,000 meters at the World Championships in Budapest last month and ran poorly in the 5,000 meters a few days later. Afterward, she turned her focus to the Diamond League final. She lost sleep thinking about her missed chance at Worlds. “I’m very hungry in my mind,” she said. “But today is very happy.”
In the men’s pole vault, Swedish star Mondo Duplantis broke his own world record (6.21 meters), sailing over 6.23 meters today. He didn’t have any misses in the competition.
“For me, I just try to jump high,” he said. “I love pole vaulting so much, and I’ve loved it ever since I was just a little kid. If I’m able to take pole vaulting to another level, and I can get as much eyes as possible watching it by jumping really high and doing some cool things, then that’s a job well done by me. I like where I’m at; I’m gonna try to keep building on this.”
American Grant Fisher had a stress reaction in his femur that kept him from qualifying for the World Championships. He cross trained hours every day on the bike and watched the action from Worlds on television from his altitude training base in St. Moritz, wondering what could have been if he were racing.
Today in the men’s 3,000 meters, Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway won his second event in two days. He ran 7:23.63, edging Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia by 0.01 seconds. (Ingebrigtsen won the mile yesterday in 3:43.73.) He is now third all-time on both the mile and 3,000 meters lists.
Fisher, who was in sixth place at the bell, had a strong last lap to overtake two men and finish third in 7:25.47. He took 3 seconds off his own American record, which he ran last year.
“I expected just to get a few races in at the end and try to feel like myself again, but it turned out way better than I expected,” Fisher said. “I wouldn’t say it was a blessing in disguise, because I really wish I was better at USAs and could make it to Worlds, but I’m pretty happy with how I rolled with the punches.”
The biggest surprise of the meet was 2021 Olympic gold medalist in the 800 meters Athing Mu, who seemed ambivalent about racing all season. She raced only twice before the World Championships, and her coach, Bobby Kersee, hinted that she might skip Worlds to focus on next year’s Olympic Games in Paris.
At USAs, Mu, 21, said the pressure wore on her. “Coming into these meets, whether it’s a small competition, big competition, there’s just so much pressure just overall,” she said. “You know, you’re overthinking your race days before you’re even out there.”
She did show up in Budapest and won a bronze medal in the 800, behind Mary Moraa of Kenya and Keely Hodgkinson of Great Britain, and it was assumed Mu would go straight to vacation after that. But she said she decided to race the Diamond League final—she had a wildcard entry—shortly after Budapest. She took a week off to regroup and then began training again. She wasn’t announced for the meet until five days before the race.
Today’s race was evenly paced, with Mu and Hodgkinson running side by side and splitting 57.2 for the first 400. Down the final straight, Mu pulled away, winning in 1:54.97, breaking her own American record (1:55.04) from 2021 by 0.07 seconds. Hodgkinson, also 21, was second—yet again—and broke her own British record, running 1:55.19.
Taking third in Budapest might have relieved some of the pressure on Mu.
“I’m just happy with how I felt out here, completely,” she said. “I felt really new and refreshed, and I’m just happy.”
Sarah Lorge Butler is a writer and editor living in Eugene, Oregon, and her stories about the sport, its trends, and fascinating individuals have appeared in Runner’s World since 2005. She is the author of two popular fitness books, Run Your Butt Off! and Walk Your Butt Off!
