Dibaba now boasts four of top 10 all-time indoor performances

By Erik Boal, DyeStat Editor

Ethiopian star Genzebe Dibaba produced another memorable performance at the Indoor Meeting Karlsruhe, opening the IAAF World Indoor Tour in exceptional fashion Saturday with the second-fastest indoor 1,500-meter time in history, clocking 3 minutes, 57.45 seconds at the Messe Halle Karlsruhe in Germany.

Four years ago at the same event on the Europahalle track, Dibaba set the world indoor record of 3:55.17. Since then, only one athlete has even been within three seconds of the mark, other than Dibaba being timed at 3:56.46 during a 2016 race in Stockholm on her way to running 4:13.31 to set the world indoor mile record.

Dibaba now boasts four of the top 10 all-time world indoor 1,500 performances, including the only athlete to produce three efforts under 4 minutes.

Americans Sharika Nelvis and Christina Manning posted the top two 60-meter hurdles times in the world this year, clocking 7.80 and 7.81. Germany's Cindy Roleder placed third in 7.84.

Nelvis' performance was equal to No. 6 in U.S. history and Manning is tied for No. 8 all-time among Americans.

Germany's Raphael Holzdeppe cleared a personal-best 19-3.5 (5.88m) to take over the world lead in the men's pole vault, his best indoor effort in more than two years.

Germany added another world leader in the women's long jump, with Malaika Mihambo producing a leap of 22-0.75 (6.72m) to edge countrywoman Sosthene Moguenara-Taroum, who put the pressure on with an effort of 22-0.5 (6.70m) in the final round for the No. 2 effort in the world this year.

Ethiopia's Hagos Gebrhiwet and Yomif Kejelcha clocked the two fastest men's 3,000-meter times in the world this season by running 7:37.91 and 7:38.67.

China's Su Bingtian set an Asian record and ran the second-fastest men's 60-meter dash in the world this year, clocking 6.47 to lower the standard of 6.50 he established at the 2016 IAAF World Indoor Championships in Portland.