Rome DL: Beatrice Chebet floors Tsegay to set second-fastest 5000m time

Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet extended her invincible start to the season after claiming the women's 5000m race at the Rome Diamond League on Friday 6 June.

Just days after narrowly missing the 3,000m record in Rabat, Chebet, 25, was in imperious form yet again, as she ran the second-fastest women's 5000m of all time, clocking a blistering 14:03.69.

In doing so, Chebet also set a new meeting record, shattering Almaz Ayana's time of 14:12.59 set nine years ago on 2 June 2016.

Further, she set a new national record wiping the previous one set by three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon.

The Kenyan's attempt of claiming a world record in the distance was the only blot on her masterpiece showing however, as her pace fizzled out in the last two laps, leaving Gudaf Tsegay's 14:00.21 time in Eugene two years ago as the standard.

After a couple quick laps spearheaded by the pacemaking duo of Winnie Nanyondo and Kenya's Margret Akidor, Chebet tore up the script by going out infront with five laps to go, carrying behind her the Ethiopian trio of Tsegay, Freweyni Hailu and Birke Haylom.

But a sizzling next kilometer from the Kenyan put all the closers behind her, as the story became about Chebet's race against the clock.

Tsegay, who had been billed to give Chebet a run for her money seemed to hit the proverbial wall, as she fell further behind, leaving Chebet to attack her record.

With two laps to go, it became evident that Chebet had overran herself, and was not going to get the world record time, but was just in time to erase seconds from Ayana's time for the fastest time at the Stadio Olimpico.

Hailu came second in a personal best 14:19.33, with home girl Nadia Battocletti wrapping up the podium timing a national record 14:23.15.

Story behind design of Tokyo World Championships medals

Timothy Cheruiyot a close second

Meanwhile in the men’s 1500m, Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Timothy Cheruiyot defied his recent form after finishing a close second in a season best time of 3:29.75.

Cheruiyot, 29, looked set to take his first Diamond League win this season, but was usurped in the final 100m by Frenchman Azeddine Habz, who timed a season-best time of 3:29.72.

Moroccan Anass Essayi was third, clocking a personal best 3:30.71, to close out a race that really got going in the last lap.

Reynold Cheruiyot, who finished second in Rabat late last month, ran at the back for much of the race, and clawed back to finish sixth, timing 3:30.94.

Fellow Kenyan Brian Komen was only eighth, finishing in a season best time of 3:31.14.