World 5000m bronze medalist Jacob Krop won the men’s 3000m at the Zurich Diamond League on Thursday evening.
Krop finished at 7:34.80 to cut the tape, ahead of African bronze medallist in the 5,000m, Cornelius Kemboi who timed 7:35.46.
Kenyan-born Belgian Isaac Kimeli clocked a personal best of 7:41.30 to claim third.
The race was a masterclass in strategic pacing and endurance, with Krop taking the lead in the third lap and maintaining it to the finish line.
His performance was especially notable as he was just two minutes shy of the longstanding meet record set by Saïd Aouita of Morocco back in August 1998.
The Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Krop said in a post-race interview: “First of all, it is very important to me to get this win today. Honestly, I didn’t expect such cold weather but I managed it well. We decided our plan before the race and I did what I was supposed to do.
This is not my first time here, I have run here several times so I am glad to go away with a win. At this point, I feel like the season is getting to an end and I want to close it with style. I want to run something special in Brussels and finish the season with style on the 5000m.”
Addis Ababa Yihune from Ethiopia made a strong showing, finishing just fractions behind Kimeli with a time of 7:41.81. Although he missed a top-three placement, his performance was robust and promising.
American runner William Kincaid was not far behind, securing fifth place with a time of 7:42.75, while Switzerland’s Jonas Raess showcased his competitive spirit with a close 7:43.01 finish.
Nicholas Griggs of Ireland, a younger contender in the field, crossed the finish line in seventh place with a time of 7:43.44.
Following him, Mike Fopping from the Netherlands finished eighth at 7:44.20, and Hugo Hay of France completed the top nine with a time of 7:44.46.
Rounding out the top ten Canadian Charles Philibert-Thiboutot finished with a time of 7:53.42. Mezgebu Sime from Ethiopia despite finishing eleventh in a time of 8:05.00 demonstrated resilience and the determination to compete against a tough field.
