It was a night for silver medallists at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme with Kenya’s Jacob Krop, Yarsolava Mahuchikh and Kara Winger winning their respective events with world-leading marks at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Brussels on Friday (2).
The men’s 5000m, one of several highly competitive events in the Belgian capital, resulted in Krop chopping more than a second off his PB to win in 12:45.71, elevating him to sixth on the world all-time list.
Pacemakers led the field through the first 1000m in 2:33.68 and maintained that tempo through to the second kilometre, reached in 5:07.15. Yomif Kejelcha led from Krop through 3000m in 7:41.74 with most of the field running in single file behind.
Krop moved into the lead 300 metres later, maintaining the metronomic pace as the field began to whittle away behind him. USA’s Grant Fisher was the only athlete capable of sticking with Krop on the final two laps, but Krop pulled away from him with ease on the home straight, kicking ahead to win in 12:45.71, making him the second-fastest Kenyan in history.
Fisher held on for second place in 12:46.96, breaking the North American record and moving to 12th on the world all-time list. In a race where the top six men finished inside 13 minutes, Nicholas Kipkorir placed third in 12:50.97, Dominic Lokinyomo Lobalu set a South Sudanese record of 12:52.15, Daniel Ebenyo clocked a PB of 12:54.90 and Stewart McSweyn was sixth in 12:56.50.
Courtesy of World Athletics
