Sport - Athletics

Dibaba sets World record

OSLO: Twice World 10,000 metres champion Tirunesh Dibaba of Ethiopia shattered the World women’s 5,000m record when she clocked 14 minutes and 11.15 seconds at the Oslo Golden League athletics meeting in the Bislett Stadium on Friday.

Dibaba broke the mark of 14:16.63 set by compatriot Meseret Defar at the same stadium on June 15, 2007.

Lucy Wangui of Kenya was second in 14:33.49, a personal best for her, and sister Ejegayehu Dibaba was third in 14:36.78 at the second of the six Golden League meetings of the season in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics in August.

The early pace was set by Anna Alminova of Russia before Dibaba, one of three sisters in the race, pulled away on a balmy evening in the Norwegian capital.

However, her performance does not count towards the $1 million Golden League jackpot shared by athletes who win all of their events as the women’s 5,000m is not one of the 10 disciplines this season.

Croatia’s Blanka Vlasic won the women’s high jump clearing 2.04m, improving her season’s best of 2.03m, and keeping her in the running for the jackpot after her triumph in Berlin five days ago. It was her 26th straight victory. Earlier, U.S. Olympic and World champion Jeremy Wariner set a year’s best of 43.98 in the 400m.

Russia’s World record-holder Gulnara Galkina also set a year’s leading time of nine minutes and 14.77 seconds in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase, running away from a strong field. The event makes its Olympic debut in Beijing.

Sudan’s 18-year-old Abubaker Kaki won the men’s 800m in 1:42.69, a World junior record and the time under 1.43 in the past five years.

The next Golden League meeting is scheduled for Rome on June 11. — Agencies

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