Chebet begins Diamond League season with win in Oslo

Commonwealth Games 5,000m champion Beatrice Chebet began her 2023 Diamond League series on a high as she emerged victorious in the women’s 3000m race at the Oslo Diamond League (DL) leg in Oslo, Norway in a world lead time of 8:25.01.

Sticking right behind the race pacemaker Sarah Billings, Chebet stormed with a lap to go in the rather quick race to outpace her fellow Kenyans - former World Under-18 3000m champion Lilian Kasait Rangeruk and Margaret Chelimo - to set a new Personal Best and break the 24 year old meeting record of 8:27.21 previously held by Gabriela Szabo of Romania from 30 June 1999.

Kasait - who gave it all in the last lap before being overtaken by Chebet in the last 150m - came in second in a personal best time of 8:25.90 with World 5000m silver medalist Margaret Chelimo coming in third with another season best 8:26.14 to complete a Kenyan 1-2-3 sweep.

Agnes Chebet came in seventh clocking 8:32.62 with Diamond League debutant Caroline Nyaga coming in eighth in a time of 8:34.85.

Chebet started her season winning the World Cross Country title in Bathurst, Australia by fending off compatriot Letesenbet Gidey who fell in the last meters of the race before opening the track activity with a win in the 5000m at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi on 13 May 2023.

Elsewhere in the men’s 5000m, Ethiopian and 10000m World silver medalist Yomif Kejelcha edged out Jacob Kiplimo to win with a meeting record and world lead of 12:41.73.

The two had to wait for a photo-finish judgment to decide the winner as they all dipped at the line in tandem - clocking the same time that was the fifth fastest ever over the 5000m distance in history.

Ishmael Rokitto Kipkirui - a second placed finisher in this year’s Kip Keino Classic - came in sixth in a personal best time of 13:05.47, with Cornelius Kemboi finishing 13th in a time of 13:22.35.