In 14 min 05 sec 20, Kipyegon (29) improved the mark of Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey (14:06.62 in 2020), second in the race Friday night (14:07.94).
Training partner of marathon king Eliud Kipchoge, Kipyegon has just achieved the feat of breaking two records in two different disciplines in one week, after having managed 3 min 49 sec 11 last Friday in Florence (Italy) on 1,500 m.
A two-time Olympic and two-time world champion in the 1,500m, her specialty for several years, Kipyegon had not finished 5,000m in eight years, and had never done better than 14:31.95.
The smiling cross-country skier collapsed after the line, sitting for a long time to recover, after being carried by the warm audience of the Charléty stadium, filled one year before the Paris Olympics (athletics will take place at the Stade de France).
Aided by the pace leaders and the "wavelight", a luminous technology that set the pace of the record at the edge of the track, Gidey and Kipyegon flew to fight for victory, Kipyegon taking the upper hand with a supersonic final lap.
© 2023 AFP