IAAF Diamond League: Mohammed Aman wins 800m race in world lead time

Brussels, Belgium - World champion Mohammed Aman came to Brussels with a lead in the Diamond Race that could not be beaten. Running free from any pressure, the Ethiopian teenager simply wanted to focus on running a fast time. And that’s exactly what he did.

Paced by former European champion Bram Som through 400m, Aman was tucked behind Djibouti’s World bronze medallist Ayanleh Souleiman and clocked 49.3 at half way. Souleiman held on to his lead through 600m as he recorded a 1:15.27 split – one of the fastest ever recorded in an 800m race.

Aman then kicked for home as Souleiman began to fade. He sprinted down the home straight to cross the line in 1:42.37, improving his own national record by 0.16 and bettering the previous 2013 world lead by almost a full second.

USA’s World silver medallist Nick Symmonds replicated his finish from Moscow, clocking a season’s best of 1:43.03 to finish ahead of Kenya’s Ferguson Rotich, who set a personal best of 1:43.22 in third.

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