Olympic champion Winfred Yavi ran the second-fastest women’s 3000m steeplechase in history at the Rome Diamond League, missing the world record by seven hundredths of a second.
Yavi of Bahrain clocked 8 minutes, 44.39 seconds. The world record is 8:44.32, set by Kenyan Beatrice Chepkoech in 2018.
“I looked at the time after the race and I went ‘Oh, no!'” Yavi said, according to the Diamond League. “Í was really expecting that record, and I was going for it. I definitely feel I should break it, and I believe it will happen. I need to work even harder. And I am planning to have another go at it before the end of the season.”
Yavi, 24, now has the second-, third- and fifth-fastest times in history. She also won the world championships and Diamond League titles in 2023.
DIAMOND LEAGUE: Full Results
In other events, Jamaican Ackera Nugent won the 100m hurdles in 12.24 seconds, matching the fourth-fastest time in history. Nugent, who in the Olympic final hit multiple hurdles and did not finish, became the first woman to break 12.30 seconds on three different occasions in one year.
Nugent held off Olympic gold medalist Masai Russell by seven hundredths.
Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo won the 100m in 9.87 seconds, overtaking American Christian Coleman (9.92) and putting his arms out before crossing the finish line.
Three-time Olympic shot put champion Ryan Crouser threw a meet record 22.49 meters to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time in five years.
“I no longer feel the jet lag after coming back to Europe from home,” Crouser said, according to the Diamond League. “It is a good indicator there is a big throw is coming up. Not that today´s mark is not big, but I believe I can still get into world record territory. I am trending in the right direction.”
Three-time Olympic gold medalist Faith Kipyegon won the 1500m in 3:52.89. Kipeygon has run 10 of the 22 sub-3:53s in history. Her world record from last month is 3:49.04.
Slovenian Kristjan Ceh won the men’s discus over the three Olympic medalists. Ceh, who was fourth in Paris, threw 68.61 meters on his final attempt to overtake gold medalist Roje Stona of Jamaica.
Olympic gold medalist Tara Davis-Woodhall led a U.S. sweep of the first four places in the women’s long jump. Davis-Woodhall (7.02 meters) was followed by Monae’ Nichols (6.82), Quanesha Burks (6.66) and Jasmine Moore (6.62).
The Diamond League next moves to Zurich, Switzerland next Friday and Saturday.
On Friday, Olympic champions Mondo Duplantis (pole vault) and Karsten Warholm (400m hurdles) will face off over 100m, and a women’s pole vault will be held at a train station.
The rest of the Zurich meet program will be next Saturday, live on Peacock from 2-4 p.m. ET.
