Ethiopia’s Girma Lamecha clocked a season-best 8:07.01 to win the men’s 3000m steeplechase at a non-Diamond League event held during the Paris Diamond League on Friday night at Stade Charléty.
The reigning world record holder delivered a smooth and composed run. He accelerated strongly in the final lap to pull away from the field and cross the line unchallenged.
Final Results
1 Girma Lamecha ETH 8:07.01
2 Salaheddine Ben Yazide MAR 8:11.68
3 Getnet Wale ETH 8:12.58
4 Mohamed Tnindouft MAR 8:15.32
5 Baptiste Fourmont FRA 8:17.58
6 Djilali Bedrani FRA 8:19.19
7 Ahmed Jaziri TUN 8:19.99
8 Abraham Sime ETH 8:21.75
9 Luc Le Baron FRA 8:22.52
10 Alejandro Quijada ESP 8:24.39
11 Faid El Mostafa MAR 8:25.26
12 Victor Ruiz ESP 8:28.99
13 Bilal Tabti ALG 8:28.99
14 Ben Buckingham AUS 8:47.89
DNF Wilberforce Kones Chemut KEN
DNS A.B Messaoudi
Girma Lamecha is the 2020 Tokyo Olympic silver medallist in the steeplechase. He has also claimed silver medals at the 2019, 2022, and 2023 World Athletics Championships. He earned another silver in the 3000 metres at the 2022 World Indoor Championships.
In February 2023, he set the world indoor record for the 3000 metres, and later that year, in June, he broke the 3000m steeplechase world record at this very meeting in Paris, clocking 7:52.11.
The steeplechase in Paris was not a Diamond League points event. However, the quality of the field and the importance of the season made it a key stage for Girma to assert his form. He had not featured prominently in Diamond League steeplechase races earlier in the season. He missed the podium in Shanghai and skipping both Rabat and Xiamen. Emerging talents like Abrham Sime, Edmund Serem, and Simon Koech impressed with times under 8:10.
