Ingebrigtsen breaks European record, Hull setsWorld record
A few weeks before the Olympics in Paris, athletes set new records in athletics: At the Monaco Meeting, Jessica Hull shines over 2000 meters, while Jakob Ingebrigtsen breaks his own best over 1500 meters. The giant duel over 400 meters hurdles is heating up.
Norwegian top runner Jakob Ingebrigtsen set the next best mark over 1500 meters and is getting closer to the world record before the Olympics. At the Diamond League meeting in Monaco, the 23-year-old improved his European best time to 3:26.73 minutes and was less than a second over the world record of Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj from 1998 (3:26.00). His personal best of 3:27.14 was improved by the Olympic champion of 2021 and he collected more self-confidence for Paris.
"That's exceptional," said Ingebrigtsen after his win: "When you achieve great results, it's easier to build confidence for your upcoming races." A month ago, he won the title over 1500 meters at the European Championships in Rome with a track record. Before that, he had already won over 5000 meters.
Before the big highlight in Paris, he feels "strong. I will give my best and hope to bring the gold medal home," said Ingebrigtsen. The final over 1500 meters is on August 6 at the Stade de France. In the youngest two finals over this distance at the world level - at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene and the 2023 World Championships in Budapest - Ingebrigtsen was sensationally overtaken by a Scot in both cases, which he wants to avoid in Paris at all costs.
Warholm feels "fast, but the others are too"
For a top performance in Monaco, Jessica Hull also took care of it. The Australian improved the world record over the rarely run 2000-meter distance and provided another best mark in athletics this season. She ran 5:19.70 minutes.
The 27-year-old stayed under the previous record of Francine Niyonsaba from Burundi, who ran 5:21.56 minutes on September 14, 2021 in Zagreb. Hull was seventh over 1500 meters at the last two World Championships and fourth over 3000 meters at the indoor World Championships this year. A few days ago, she improved her 1500-meter personal best by more than five seconds to 3:50.83 minutes - in this season, she is almost seven seconds faster than ever before on her favorite track, an absurd improvement on this level.
The American Rai Benjamin and Ingebrigtsen's countryman Karsten Warholm made the battle of the industry leaders over the 400 meters hurdles in Monaco. Benjamin won the Diamond League race and relegated the Olympic champion Warholm to second place. In 46.67 seconds, he beat the Norwegian by 0.06 seconds, with the Brazilian Alison Dos Santos finishing third (47.18 seconds).
"Paris will be crazy," said Benjamin, "I have to win, I believe in it." Warholm, world record holder, three-time world and three-time European champion, panted after a "really close race": "I feel fast, but the others are fast too. We'll see what happens next month." The athletics competitions at the Summer Games in Paris take place from August 1 to 11.
Ingebrigtsen's impressive performance at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco, where he broke his European best time in the 1500 meters, has increased his chances of claiming the gold medal at the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris. Prior to the Athletics events at the Olympics, Jessica Hull also set a new world record over the 2000-meter distance at the Monaco Meeting, further highlighting the high level of competition in the sport leading up to Paris.
