Kipyegon Breaks Her Own 1,500m World Record; Mahuchikh Achieves High Jump Milestone

Faith Kipyegon of Kenya shattered her own world record in the women's 1,500 meters at the Diamond League track and field meeting on Sunday. Kipyegon completed the race in 3:49.04, surpassing her previous record of 3:49.11 set in Italy last year. Nine other runners also achieved personal bests during the race.

The 30-year-old Kipyegon is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 1,500 meters, having won in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021. Before Sunday, she had competed only twice in 2024, participating in the 1,500 and 5,000 meters to qualify for the Paris Olympics at the Kenyan trials in June.

Yaroslava Mahuchikh's Historic High Jump

Yaroslava Mahuchikh from Ukraine set a new world record in the women's high jump, breaking a mark that had stood for 37 years. Mahuchikh, who is the reigning world champion, achieved a height of 2.10 meters. The previous record of 2.09 meters was set by Bulgaria's Stefka Kostadinova in Rome in 1987.

Mahuchikh admitted she was aiming for a world record before the event. "Coming into this competition, I had feelings that I could jump 2.07 meters and maybe 2.10 meters," Mahuchikh said. "Finally, I signed Ukraine to the history of world athletics."

Record-Breaking Performances

Jessica Hull of Australia finished second in the women's 1,500 meters with a time of 3:50.83, breaking her own Oceania record by five seconds. Laura Muir came third with a British record time of 3:53.79. Kipyegon mentioned she was aware of her potential to break the world record due to her recent fast times.

"I knew the world record was possible because I recently ran very fast in Kenya," said Kipyegon, who clocked 3:53.98 at Kenya's Olympic Trials. "I was coming here to just run my race and to see what shape I'm in to defend my title at the Olympics."

Mahuchikh and world indoor champion Nicola Olyaslagers both cleared 2.01 meters on their second attempt during the high jump event. After Olyaslagers failed three times at 2.03 meters, Mahuchikh cleared that height to secure victory.

Mahuchikh then cleared 2.07 meters to set a Ukrainian record and had the bar raised to 2.10 meters, which she cleared on her first try.

Kipyegon's remarkable performance and Mahuchikh's historic achievement highlight their exceptional talent and determination in their respective fields.