Kenya's Beatrice Chebet sets meet record in France

World Under-20 5,000m champion Beatrice Chebet continued to cement her status at senior level with a meet record victory in the women's 5,000m race at the Montreuil International Track and Field Meeting in France on Tuesday.

Chebet, who days earlier stormed to victory in Doha, won in Montreuil in 14 minutes and 52.06 seconds to edge out Kalimantan Gezahegne from Bahrain in 14:52.92.

Chebet’s compatriot, former Africa 5,000m champion, Sheila Chepkirui settled for second place in 14:54.06, followed by Burundian Francine Nyonsaba, who ran within the Tokyo Olympics qualifying time and a personal best of 14:54.38.

Chebet, who is also the reigning World Cross Country Under-20 champion, had on May 28 shocked a strong  field that included defending champion Hellen Obiri, who is also the World 5,000m champion, to win the 3,000m race at the Doha Diamond League.

Chebet clocked a personal best and world lead of 8:27.49 for her maiden Diamond League victory.

Also to glide to a meet record victory at Montreuil was Abel Kipsang of Kenya, winning the men's 1,500m in a personal best of 3:33.99 after brushing aside fellow countryman Charles Simotwo in 3:34.56.

Kenyans Edinah Jebitok and Collins Kipruto fell short in the women's 800m and men’s 1,5000m respectively.

Jebitok, the 2017 Word Under-18 1,5000m bronze medallist, who is trying to make a breakthrough at senior level, finished third in 4:07.52, losing the battle to Darya Barysevich from Belarus.

Barysevich won in a meet record time of 4:06.91 as Romanian Claudia Bobocea clocked a season best 4:06.97 for third place.

Kipruto lost to Patryk Dobel from Poland, posting a time of 1:44.80 against the latter's  1:43.76.

Jebitok and Kipruto will cross over to Spain where they will be joined by several Kenyans, including Mary Moraa for the Huelva Meeting, the World Athletics Continental Tour bronze meeting due Thursday night at Iberoamericano Stadium.

Kirptuo will be the only Kenyan in the 800m, while Jebitok will have company in Moraa, who is trying to qualify for Tokyo Olympic Games, and Selah Jepleting in women’s 1,500m. 

So far only Olympic 1,500m champion Faith Chepng'etich and Continental champion 1,500m champion Winny Chebet have attained the Tokyo Olympics qualifying time of 4:04.20.  

Davis Kiplagat will field in men’s 5,000m, while Barnaba Kipyego, Nicholas Bett and Wilberforce Kones will compete in 3,000m steeplechase.

In the womens' race, former World Under-20 3,000m steeplechase champion Rosefline Chepng’etich and Fancy Cherono will fly the country's flag.