Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba breaks 23-year-old world record in 1,500 metres

Ethiopia’s world indoor champion Genzebe Dibaba broke the 22-year-old world women’s 1,500 metres record on a sultry night at the Monaco Diamond League meeting on Friday with a time of three minutes, 50.07 seconds.

The younger sister of three-times Olympic gold medallist and world 5,000 metres record holder Tirunesh Dibaba, ran the final lap on her own after the pacemaker dropped out.

Chinese Qu Yunxia’s set the previous mark of 3:50.46 in Beijing on September 11, 1993.

Dibaba, 24, said she had been confident she could run a fast time in Monaco after setting an African record of 3:54.11 in Barcelona this season.

She said she had been concentrating on her speed this year and training with male partners but was to still to decide whether she would run the 1,500 or 5,000 at next month’s Beijing world championships after Friday’s race.

“Most of the girls can’t stay with me in training,” she said. “It just has to be guys.”

Five personal bests were set in the race and another eight in the men’s 1,500m where Kenyan world champion Asbel Kiprop produced a stunning display of front running to win in three minutes, 26.69 seconds. Only world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj and Bernard Lagat have ever run faster.