EUGENE - Beatrice Chebet shattered the women's 5,000m world record with a groundbreaking time of 13min 58.06sec as fellow Kenyan Faith Kipyegon lowered her own 1,500m global record at the Diamond League athletics meeting in Eugene, Oregon.
Chebet, Olympic gold medallist at 5,000 and 10,000m in Paris last year, delivered a devastating finish to become the first woman to break the 14-minute barrier in the 5,000.
The 25-year-old said she was inspired by her own strong showing in Rome last month, and by Kipyegon's ambitious but ultimately unsuccessful bid to become the first woman to break four minutes for the mile just over a week ago in Paris.
"In Rome I was just running to win a race, but after running 14:03, I said that I'm capable of running a world record," she said.
"When I was coming here to Eugene, I was coming to prepare to run a world record, and I said I have to try. I said 'If Faith is trying, why not me?'"
Kipyegon, the three-time reigning Olympic champion, won the 1,500m in 3:48.68, improving on the record of 3:49.04 she set in July 2024.
The 31-year-old Kenyan was running her first 1,500m of the season, having come up short in her bid for mile history in a special event in Paris.
Ethiopia's Diribe Welteji finished second in 3:51.44, overhauling Australia's Olympic silver medallist Jessica Hull, who had stuck to Kipyegon until the final lap but settled for third in 3:52.67.
"This was really special," Kipyegon said. "After what I tried last week, it gave me motivation that I can still do better."