APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Ethiopian 3000m steeplechase world record-holder Lamecha Girma and the Norwegian Olympic 1500m champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen will compete head-to-head on Friday at the 1500m Diamond League in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Lemecha and Ingebrigtsen both made history earlier this month in Paris, where they set a world 3000m steeplechase record and a world two-mile best, respectively.
Now they have the chance to race for fast 1500m performances when they return to Wanda Diamond League action.
Today’s race in Lausanne will be the first time these two athletes will compete head-to-head in any event, according to the World Athletics.
Norway’s Ingebrigtsen, who broke the world indoor 1500m record by running 3:30.60 in Lievin in February, clocked 7:54.10 in Paris to improve Daniel Komen’s world best for two miles.
Ethiopia’s Lemecha also ran 7:52.11 in Paris, taking 1.52 seconds off the world 3000m steeplechase record set by Said Saeed Shaheen in 2004, and then headed to Ostrava where he clocked a PB of 3:33.15 to win 1500m Continental Tour Gold meeting on Tuesday.
In Oslo, the diamond league would offer the athletes the opportunity to challenge the legendary Moroccan runner Hicham El Guerrouj’s almost 25-year-old world record of 3:26.00.
The battle won’t be between the two athletes alone. They will be joined by Britain’s Olympic bronze medallist Josh Kerr, Australia’s Stewart McSweyn as well as Ethiopia’s Teddese Lemi, New Zealand’s Sam Tanner and Britain’s Neil Gourley.
MG/abj/APA