14:24.37 World 5000m record by Defar in Stockholm

Stockholm, Sweden - In a stunning performance, Meseret Defar set a new World record in the 5000m, clocking 14:24.37* at the GE Galan Meeting tonight (18) in Stockholm.

The performance by the 25-year-old Ethiopian knocked more than three seconds from the previous mark of 14:27.42 set by her compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba in Boston in 2007.

Defar’s was the seventh World record set at the GE Galan meeting. Previously, Haile Gebrselassie and Daniel Komen set records in the men’s 5000m, Maria Mutola twice broke the 1000m record, and Germany’s Nicole Humbert and Svetlana Feofanova of Russia each set records in the women’s Pole Vault.

Defar’s unofficial kilometre splits:

1000m - 2:52.1
2000m - 5:47.8 (2:55.7)
3000m - 8:42.5 (2:54.7)
4000m - 11:37.8 (2:55.3)
5000m - 14:24.37 (2.46.6)

Last lap - 30.3sec