Records tumble at IAAF indoor meet

Abdalelah Haroun of Qatar reacts after setting a new world record at the Globen-Galan athletics meet for track and field in Stockholm on Wednesday. Haroun became the first person ever to run 500 metres in under a minute. (Photo: AP)

Genzebe Dibaba set a new world record in the indoor mile beating a record that had stood for 26 years at the IAAF meeting in Stockholm on Wednesday.

The Ethiopian’s time of 4 minutes, 13.31 seconds beat Doina Melinte’s record set in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1990 by nearly four seconds. It was the third consecutive year Dibaba had set an indoor world record in Stockholm, having previously set the 3,000 and 5,000 metres records.

Dibaba, who was voted World Athlete of the Year in 2015, was understandably delighted with her latest visit to the Swedish capital.

“I know this track well, and it is very good for me,” she said.

“I am very happy with this record. And I think I will be able to run even faster this season,” Dibaba added.

On a night of record breaking at the World Indoor Tour event, Djibouti’s Ayanleh Souleiman also set a new indoor record for the 1,000m, streaking away on the final lap of the race to clock 2:14.20.

The previous record of 2:14.96 had been set by Denmark’s Wilson Kipketer in 2000.

After the race, Souleiman praised the pacemaker.

“After I passed 800m in 1:46, I knew I would have the record,” he said. “This is my first world record, and I am very happy,” he added.

Both records still need to be ratified by the ruling IAAF.

In the 500 metres race, Abdalelah Haroun of Qatar dug deep to finish in a world’s best time of 59.83 seconds ahead of Onkabetse Nkobolo of Botswana.

Meanwhile, 39-year-old Kim Collins from Saint Kitts and Nevis proved once again that age hasn’t diminished his speed winning the 60 metres sprint in 6.56 seconds, ahead of Americans Mike Rodgers and Joseph Morris.

In other events, Adam Kszczot of Poland finished strongly to overtake Qatar’s Musaeb Balla on the home straight to win the 800 metres in a world leading time of 1:45.63. In the 3,000m, Abdalaati Iguider was strong enough to hold off the challenge Yomif Kejelcha to win in 7:39.04.