Ingebrigtsen shines in new world record at Wanda Diamond League

BELGIUM – The Norwegian long distance race specialist, Jakob Ingebrigtsen on Friday recorded another victory at the Wanda Diamond League meet when he set a new world record in the 2000 metres race. 

The 22-year-old Norwegian won his battle with the clock over the final 600 metres to set a new mark of 4:43.13 – a first outdoor world record for the Olympic champion, who set a world indoor 1500m record of 3:30.60 last year and, at this season’s Paris Diamond League meeting, ran a two miles world best of 7:54.10.

As he moved, the crowd roared and rose to him as he drove around the final bend in his quest to erase the formidable mark of 4:44.79 set in Berlin in 1999 by Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj – whose outdoor world records for the 1500m (3:26.00) and mile (3:43.13) the prodigiously talented young Norwegian already covets.

Speaking after the record, Ingebrigtsen said: “It’s always fun to break a record,” Ingebrigtsen said. “This one qualifies as a world record and not as a world best. I knew I was able to break this one, but I had some kind of virus 10 days ago and I didn’t really know how I would be feeling today.

“However, I felt really good and ran a good race. To be honest, this record wasn’t a difficult one for me. Sure, when you have to do it alone, it’s really tough, but I got great help from the pacemakers. Actually they were able to help me more than I expected.”