Dibaba breaks 22-year-old world record in 1,500 metres

‘Most of the girls can't stay with me in training; it just has to be guys’

Ethiopia's world indoor champion Genzebe Dibaba broke the 22-year-old world women's 1,500 metres record on a sultry night at the Monaco Diamond League meeting on Friday with a time of three minutes 50.07 seconds. The younger sister of three-time Olympic gold medallist and world 5,000 metres record holder Tirunesh Dibaba, ran the final lap on her own after the pacemaker dropped out.

Chinese Qu Yunxia's set the previous mark of 3:50.46 in Beijing on September 11, 1993.

Dibaba, 24, told a news conference she had been confident she could run a fast time in Monaco after setting an African record of 3:54.11 in Barcelona this season.

She said she had been concentrating on her speed this year and training with male partners but was to still to decide whether she would run the 1,500 or 5,000 at next month's Beijing world championships after Friday's race. "Most of the girls can't stay with me in training," she said. "It just has to be guys."

Five personal bests were set in the race and another eight in the men's 1,500 where Kenyan world champion Asbel Kiprop produced a stunning display of front running to win in three minutes 26.69 seconds. Only world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj and Bernard Lagat have ever run faster.

Algeria's Olympic champion Taoufik Makhloufi was second in a personal best of 3:28.75, more than two seconds slower than Kiprop.

Britain's European record holder Mo Farah, the Olympic and world champion over 5,000 and 10,000 metres, chased Kiprop hard but could never close the gap and eventually finished fourth behind Morocco's Abdelaati Iguider who also recorded apersonal best.

"At the bell I saw 2:31, 2:32 so I knew it could be a very fast time," said Kiprop. "I admit I would have liked a faster time but it's great and confirms my shape before Beijing."

The next men's race, the 800 metres, featured a thrilling finish during which Bosnia's Amel Tuka came from third to first in the final 50 metres to edge last year's winner and Commonwealth champion Nijel Amos of Botswana.

Tuka's time of 1:42.51 was a national record and a year's best.

American Justin Gatlin, the fastest man in the world this year, set a meeting record in the 100 metres when he clocked 9.78 seconds ahead of another former world champion Tyson Gay.

It was Gatlin's last outing on the track before his expected showdown with defending champion Usain Bolt at next month's Beijing world championships.

France's world record holder Renaud Lavillenie, beaten in both his last two Diamond League meetings, was a popular winner of the men's pole vault, clearing 5.92 metres before failing three times at 6.02.

Lavillenie, whose brother Valentin broke his hand in training on Thursday, remains undefeated in Monaco after winning in 2009, 2011 and 2013.

American Joe Kovacs hurled the men's shot put 22.56 metres in the second round to record the longest distance since 2003 and propel himself to eighth in the all time list. "Everything was clicking today," he said.

"A great warmup showed I can do something, I think I can throw even further."

Olympic triple jump champion Christian Taylor of the United States defeated Cuba's world leader Pedro Pablo Pichardo with a meeting record of 17.75 metres.

Early in the meeting, Gatlin, Gay and Trayvon Bromell combined with Mike Rodgers to take the US team to an untroubled victory in the men's 4x100 metres relay with a time of 37.87 seconds.

Olympic champion Allyson Felix did not compete in the women's 200 metres but ran the second leg for the United States 4x100 relay team who clocked a season's best of 41.96 seconds.