Image: Athletics – IAAF Athletics Diamond League meeting – Women’s 5000m final – Olympic Stadium, Rome, Italy – 8/6/17 – Hellen Obiri of Kenya celebrates. REUTERS/Max Rossi
ROME (Reuters) – Kenyan Hellen Obiri destroyed the field to win the women’s 5,000 metres at the Rome Diamond League meeting on Thursday, upstaging Genzebe Dibaba who was expected to make a world record attempt.
Obiri, the Olympic silver medallist, ran the fifth fastest time in history and the quickest of the season as she finished in 14 minutes 18.37 seconds, nearly 15 seconds ahead of compatriot Agnes Jebet Tirop in second place.
Obiri broke the field with a 64.75 second lap and from that point on was racing against the clock. Ethiopian Dibaba, the 1500 metres world record holder, finished sixth.
In the javelin, Thomas Roehler produced another monster throw to overhaul fellow German Johannes Vetter and win with his final attempt.
The Olympic gold medallist, who threw an all-time second best of 93.9 metres in Doha last month, this time managed 90.06 as he continued his impressive preparations for the world championships in August.
Canada’s Olympic silver medallist Andre de Grasse, likely to be the main challenger to Jamaican triple Olympic champion and world record holder Usain Bolt in the 200 metres at the worlds in London, comfortably won his race in 20.01 seconds.
Britain’s Chijindu Ujah won the 100 metres, upstaging American Ronnie Baker who won in Eugene in a wind-assisted 9.86.
(Writing by Brian Homewood; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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