Laura Muir Breaks British Record as World Records Fall in Paris
At the Paris Diamond League, Laura Muir broke the British record in the 1500m, a race where her rival Faith Kipyegon shattered the world record. Meanwhile, Yaroslava Mahuchikh set a new high jump record, breaking a 37-year-old mark.
Muir, 31, ran a time of 3:53.79 to secure third place, improving her national record set three years ago when she won the Olympic silver medal in Tokyo.
Kenyan athlete Kipyegon clinched victory with an astonishing time of 3:49.04, outpacing Australian Jessica Hull. The 30-year-old is aiming for her third consecutive Olympic gold in the French capital next month.
British champion Georgia Bell achieved a personal best of 3:56.54 to finish fifth, while Katie Snowden came in ninth with a time of 3:58.13.
Ukraine’s world high jump champion, 22-year-old Mahuchikh, soared to 2.10m, breaking Belarusian Stefka Kostadinova’s 1987 record of 2.09m, securing another gold medal in Paris.
British athlete Morgan Lake finished ninth with a jump of 1.92m.
In the women’s 3000m steeplechase, Elizabeth Bird placed third with a season-best time of 9:09.07. Bahrain’s world champion Winfred Yavi won the race with a time of 9:03.68.
In the women’s 400m, Laviai Nielsen recorded a personal best of 50.76 seconds, while Dominican Republic’s world champion Marileidy Paulino won in 49.20 seconds.
With two Diamond League meetings remaining before the Paris 2024 Olympics, athletes will next compete in Monaco on Friday, followed by a final preparation event in London on July 20.
On Sunday at the FBK Games in the Netherlands, Keely Hodgkinson triumphed in the women’s 800m with a time of 1:57.36, while Melissa Courtney-Bryant won the 1500m in 4:03.58.
After a remarkable 2023 season, during which Kipyegon broke world records in the 1500m, 5000m, and mile, she had not competed this year until last month at Kenya’s Olympic trials. Her performance in Paris reaffirmed why she remains the favorite to add another global gold to her collection.
Racing with pace-setting lights on the inside track, only Hull dared to follow Kipyegon, while Muir timed her effort perfectly for a strong finish, boosting her confidence for another potential Olympic podium appearance.
“Breaking the British record in the city where the Olympics will be held in less than a month is incredibly exciting, so I’m very, very happy,” Muir said.
“I think it’s going to give me a lot of confidence going into the Games. Winning an Olympic medal will be very, very tough but a fantastic achievement – so I’m just going to go out there and do my best.”
Mahuchikh, who won a bronze medal at a young age in Tokyo three years ago, will head to Paris as the athlete to beat following her historic jump.
The Ukrainian athlete cleared 2.03m, outjumping Australian Nicola Olyslagers, and achieved 2.07m, marking the fourth highest jump in history.
Having fled her war-torn country two years ago due to Russia’s invasion, Mahuchikh quickly celebrated with her coach after breaking the world record on her first attempt.
“When I came to this competition, I had a feeling I could jump 2.07m and maybe 2.10m,” she said. “In the end, I’ve written Ukraine into the history of world athletics.”
Armand Duplantis did not set a new world record in Paris but still triumphed in the men’s pole vault.
The Swedish athlete, who set his eighth world record at the season’s opening Diamond League in April and recently came close to improving his 6.24m mark at the European Championships, won with a clearance of 6.00m.
After becoming Olympic champion at 21 in Tokyo three years ago, Duplantis has since secured two consecutive world gold medals.