In last week’s newsletter, I discussed and said that two weekends ago Paris Diamond League was possibly the best meet of the year thus far. However, I believe that it was beaten by this past weekend’s Diamond League in Monaco. Not only were there multiple world leads and national records but there was also a world record run. Today, I will be discussing this meet, I will tell you all you need to know, and let you decide if this was the best meet of the year. 

Jakob Ingebrigsten runs world lead and area record

If you have read any of my newsletters over the past year you probably know who Jakob Ingebrigsten is. However, if you don’t, to put it simply, Ingebrigsten is possibly one of the greatest middle-distance runners ever, and his performance this weekend proved this. In Monaco, Ingebrigsten competed in the men’s 1500m, which is arguably his best event. Over his career, Ingebrigsten has cemented himself as the fourth fastest man ever in the 1500m, and he ran even faster this weekend. In this race, Ingebrigsten was able to come away from it with a win, a world lead, and an area record. Ingebrigsten ran a time of 3:26.73, beating his previous area record by .41 seconds. Behind Ingebrigsten by almost 2 seconds was reigning Olympic silver medalist, Timothy Cheriuyot who finished in a time of 3:28.71. Following two places behind Ingebrigsten was notable American, Yared Nuguse. Like Ingebrigsten, if you have read any of my newsletters, you have probably heard of Nuguse. If you haven’t though, Nuguse is a multi-American record holder, one record of which is in the 1500m. Nuguse finished fourth in this race running a time of 3:29.13, which is only .11 off of his American record. This was an awesome race and made me even more excited for this summer’s Olympic men’s 1500m final in Paris. 

Jessica Hull runs world record in a very rare event

The Australian, Jessica Hull who is the fifth-fastest woman in the 1500m. This weekend however, Hull tested the waters in a different, and very rarely contested event, the 2000m. Hull came away from this race with three things, a win, a national record, and a world record. Hull won in a time of 5:19.70, beating everyone else by 7 seconds! Behind Hull were some other notable runners such as Melissa Courtney-Bryant, from Great Britain who placed second in a time of 5:26.08, which is also a national record. There was also an American who broke a national record as well. Cory McGee who was coming off of missing out on making the U.S. Olympic Team, came to this meet and ran the national record in this event. McGee placed fourth, and she ran a time of 5:28.78. I said that this event is rarely contested and that is true. Most meets normally do not hold a 2000m races, and even if they do, it is very rare for the world’s best to come and run in this very odd event. Hull was coming off of placing second to Faith Kipyegon at two weekends ago’s Paris Diamond League’s 1500m, and she will for sure be someone you need to watch back in Paris at the Olympics. 

Was this the best race of this event ever?

In last week’s newsletter, I talked about how the Paris Diamond League’s men’s 800m was possibly the best men’s 800m race of all time. However, my argument had one flaw, I don’t think it was the best ever. This weekend’s men’s 800m, possibly topped the one from Paris and it had so many fast times that came from it. Djamel Sedjati, who won the Paris Diamond League, won this race in a time of 1:41.46. This time beats his time from Paris by .10 and replaces it as the third fastest time of all time. The list of fast times didn’t end here, and this part is why I believe this was the best 800m race of all time. Behind Sedjati, the five next men broke 1:43, and then every other man ran under 1:44. Last week, after posting a reel about the Paris Diamond League in that reel I asked if that 800m race was the best ever, and someone commented that the 2012 London Olympic men’s 800m Final was better. In that race, the world record of 1:40.91 was run by the Kenyan legend David Rudisha. Behind Rudisha, four other men broke 1:43, and three others broke 1:44. This Monaco Diamond League had almost amounts of the same times run, and it wasn’t even an Olympic final. I’m not going to give an opinion on which one I think is better, but I will ask you what you think. Was this the best 800m race ever?

In an extension of that and what I said at the beginning I want you to decide if you think this was the best meet of the year. 

The Olympics are my favorite sporting event, and I have said multiple times before that they are the pinnacle of an athlete’s career. In honor of the Olympics being just around the corner, I have launched a new line of Kicking For Home merchandise. This time around the shirt features the iconic Eiffel Tower to commemorate the Olympics being in Paris, along with the Kicking For Home and Olympics Text. There is a link just below to get your own and to look at the rest of the details. ​​Whenever you're watching the Olympics this summer, do it in the Kicking For Home Paris Olympics T-Shirt.