Seven World Leads and Five Meeting Records in Ostrava – IAAF World Challenge

Brave efforts in the middle distances by Genzebe Dibaba (Ethiopia)  and Caleb Ndiku and Justin Gatlin’s world-leading dash in the 100m were among the highlights of a thoroughly entertaining 53rd edition of Ostrava’s Golden Spike on Tuesday (17).

The IAAF World Challenge meeting played host to three world record attempts. Although none of them materialised, the near-capacity crowd at the Mestsky Stadium did not leave disappointed as five meeting records were broken and seven world-leading marks were set. Near miss for Dibaba in 2000m record bid Near the end of the evening’s programme, Genzebe Dibaba brought the stadium to life with a brave assault on the world 2000m record. She came up a bit short, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. She reached the midway point in 2:42.67, within half a second of the pre-race target, before forging on alone for the final 900 metres. She passed the bell in 4:20.62, needing to close in less than 65 seconds to take down Sonia’ Sullivan’s 5:25.36 record set 20 years ago. Urged on by the crowd’s clapping, stomping and screaming, the double world indoor record-holder gritted her teeth as she entered the final stretch before crossing the line in 5:27.50, the third fastest performance in history and an African record.

Her compatriot Senbera Teferi was a distant second in an African junior record of 5:34.27. Read more at: IAAF.org