Genzebe Dibaba smashes world 5,000m record

Genzebe Dibaba
Genzebe Dibaba
Photo: Augustas Didžgalvis CC

Genzebe Dibaba, Ethiopia’s biggest track star at the moment, broke her third world record Thursday in Stockholm, taking over five seconds off the previous indoor 5,000m record, set by her compatriot Meseret Defar on the same track in 2009.

Dibaba’s time of 14:18.86 finished her more than an entire minute ahead of an already world-class field and sets her up as a favourite for this summer’s world championships. The meet is the XL-Galan meeting, one of the top indoor track and field events each year.

Last winter Dibaba set two world indoor records in a single week, breaking the world indoor 1,500m record on Feb. 1 and the 3,000m record on Feb. 6.

The Ethiopian’s older sister is Tirunesh Dibaba, the world record holder in the outdoor 5,000m. Tirunesh won three Olympic gold medals during her time racing on the track, as well as five world championships medals on the track and is a five-time world cross-country champion.

The day wasn’t only a good one on the track, with a Canadian record falling in the long jump at the same meet in Stockholm.

Commonwealth Games champion Christabel Nettey shattered the national long jump record, leaping to a world-leading 6.99m, farther than both the Canadian indoor and outdoor records, though it will only count for an indoor record.

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