ATHLETICS – Bahrain's elite athletes Birhanu Balew and Nelly Jepkosgei will both be competing tonight in the prestigious Meeting de Paris in France – the latest stop on this season’s Diamond League.
Balew will be running the men’s 5,000 metres while Jepkosgei will be contesting the women’s 1,500m.
The Diamond League is the premier one-day meeting series held annually by World Athletics, track and field’s international governing body.
Balew heads into his event after just earlier this month setting a new Asian and Bahraini record in the 5,000m, en route to an impressive runner-up finish at the Oslo Bislett Games in Norway – another Diamond League meet.
The 30-year-old distance-running specialist completed his run in 12 minutes 47.73 seconds – beating the old best mark for Asia and Bahrain of 12:48.67, which he himself set in June of last year at the French capital.
Balew is currently ranked fourth in the world over the distance.
The two others classified ahead of him are also taking part this evening in Pairs, including world number one Jimmy Gressier of France and world number two Addisu Yihune of Ethiopia.
Meanwhile, Jepkosgei will be one of 17 runners hitting the track for her 1,500m race.
The 34-year-old middle-distance specialist heads into her run having clocked her season’s best of 4:04.57 in her last participation over the distance at the Meeting International Mohammed VI d’Athletisme – a Diamond League event held in Rabat, Morocco last month.
Jepkosgei will be up against a high-quality field that includes world number one in the 1,500m Jessica Hull from Australia and world number four Georgia Hunter Bell.
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