Lost shoe can't slow steeplechase starlet

A mid-race shoe malfunction could not prevent teenager Celliphine Chespol of running the second fastest women's 3,000 metres steeplechase in history.

Kenyan teenager Celliphine Chespol temporarily lost a shoe but recovered to run the second fastest women's 3,000 metres steeplechase ever, at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting.

The 18-year-old needed to stop and reattach the shoe with about 550 metres to go, then roared to victory in 8min 58.78sec.

Only Bahrain's Ruth Jebet, whose world record is 8:52.78, has run faster.

"It was difficult but I try my best," Chespol said.

"I'm happy of course."

The world youth and under-20 champion improved her personal best by almost six seconds.

Chespol's compatriot Beatrice Chepkoech claimed second in 9:00.70 with Jebet third, almost three seconds further back.

Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba ran away with the women's 5,000 metres but was well off her sister Tirunesh's world record..

Dibaba, running solo for nearly half the race, finished in 14:25.22, way off the 2008 record of 14:11.15.

"I'm happy that I won but I'm not happy about the time," Dibaba said through an interpreter.

Kenyan Lilian Rengeruk took second in 14:36.80 with Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands third in 14:41.24.

Rio Olympic silver medallist Brittney Reese delivered the first seven-metre leap of the outdoor season to win the long jump.

Reese, the London Olympic champion, jumped 7.01 metres on her second attempt to overcome fellow American and Rio winner Tianna Bartoletta, who leaped 6.83 metres.

"I was really pleased," Reese said.

"The goal was to come out and jump seven metres."


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Source: AAP



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