Another amazing record for Kipyegon, the new empress of the middle distance

Faith Kipyegon, for the world and the mile, and Mohamed Katir, for Europe and the 5,000 meters graced the Monaco rally, the ninth stop of the Diamond League. Kipyegon set another jewel in the crown that symbolically encircles his temples and certifies his title of best middle-distance runner of all time. There is no other way to define who, in June, broke the world records of 1,500 and 5,000, and, on this July 21, shattered the one for the mile.

He did not leave behind Sifan Hassan's 4:12.33: he lost sight of them. He did not send them to the attic: he relegated them to the insignificance of oblivion. The reduction is of such a caliber that it forces you to read the numbers several times to verify that it is not an error and to assume its veracity.

At this point in athletics, all records contain an initial temptation of disbelief. But some more than others. This is one of those that produce a certain visual disorder because it did not seem possible that a woman could go down from, let's say, to establish a psychological border, 4:10.00 in the mile, a non-Olympic distance, but of enormous prestige. Well, Kipyegon dropped infinitely lower to, let's repeat for the sake of sinking in, perform 4:07.64.

Although he left his rivals half a straight behind?, the race as a whole was of such strength that 12 of the 13 participants broke their personal record. Among them Ester Guerrero, tenth, with 4:22.28.

Mohamed Katir did not win a dizzying 5,000 in which nine men fell below 13 minutes and saw the victory of the Ethiopian Hagos Gebrhiwet with 12:42.58. But, fourth, he broke Jakob Ingebrigtsen's European record. Nothing less. The Norwegian's 12:48.45 was vastly bettered by Katir's 12:45.01, who naturally also broke his own national lead of 12:50.79. To complete the Spanish party, Thierry Ndikumwenayo, eighth, completed a personal best of 12:55.47.