Four national records, three under 1:56 in Diamond League race

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

For only the third time, three women ran under 1 minute, 56 seconds in the same 800-meter race and the result was a record-setting day for several of the world’s top middle-distance runners at the IAAF Diamond League Meeting in Monaco.

South African Caster Semenya, the Olympic gold medalist in Rio de Janeiro, won in a world-leading 1:55.27 to improve on her national record by one-hundredth and remain the No. 11 all-time performer. Semenya also lowered her own all-time Diamond League record of 1:55.33 from last year in Monaco.

Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi lowered her own national record to 1:55.47 to elevate to the No. 15 performer in history. Niyonsaba had run 1:56.24 in Monaco last year.

Ajee’ Wilson had the most profound improvement, lowering her personal best by more than two seconds to take third in 1:55.61 and break the 1999 American record held by Jearl Miles Clark.

Wilson entered the race as the No. 7 American all-time with her effort of 1:57.67 in 2014, but shattered Miles Clark’s mark of 1:56.40 set 18 years ago in Switzerland. Wilson is now the No. 20 performer in history.

The other two times when at least three female athletes ran under 1:56 in the same race came in the 1987 World Championships, when four individuals achieved the feat, and the 1980 Olympics.

Canada’s Melissa Bishop placed fifth, also lowering her own national record to 1:57.01. Dutch star Sifan Hassan, the 2015 World Championships 1,500 bronze medalist, was fourth in a personal-best 1:56.81.