COMPETITORS: Mohamed Katir and Timothy Cheruiyot. Photo: CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU / AFP
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Spanish Mohamed Katir ran in to the time 3.28.76 and set a national record. Thus, he improved his own record by almost five seconds.
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– What is going on? Pers with five seconds, commented NRK’s Jann Post, who did not seem to believe his own eyes.
From before, Katir had a record of 3.33.62 in the 1500-meter. Suddenly he was only eight hundredths from beating Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s European record.
– It’s crazy. I am very happy. I do not know how to explain it, says Katir after the race.
– How is it possible to improve your own record by five seconds?
– I do not know how to explain it to you, but I created history today.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen was also asked about the achievement.
– He ran 12.50 in Florence, so he is obviously a very good runner, he said in the digital press zone.
—-ASKED: Timothy Cheruiyot runs in for victory ahead of Mohamed Katir and Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Photo: CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU / AFP
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Katir says that the Norwegian has been a great source of inspiration for himself.
– Jakob is a great athlete. To me, he is an example to follow. We are both young, he is 21, I am 23. We learn from very good people. We can do something very big over the next two or three years.
Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot won, setting the year’s best in the world and setting a personal record with 3.28.28. Ingebrigtsen’s time was 3.29.25.
However, Cheruiyot failed in the Kenyan championship. He finished fourth and has not been selected to run the distance during the Olympics in Tokyo.
– It is good for the progression before the Olympics. I hope I want to be part of the team. I do not know yet, but I will know it this week, says Cheruiyot in the digital press zone.
– I do not believe that. Not until I see him on the starting line, says Jakob Ingebrigtsen about the withdrawal.
This is how it went in Monaco:
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