2013 Herculis Monaco Women’s Preview: Jenny Simpson Returns To 1500 and Will Face Martinez, Moser, Obiri, and Rowbury

Shalaya Kipp Also Looks For The ‘A’ In Women’s Steeple

by LetsRun.com
July 17, 2013

After a near two week hiatus, the Diamond League returns on Friday with the 2013 Herculis Monaco. Our preview of the women’s mid-d and distance action, which is highlighted by a great 1500 featuring 2011 world champion Jenny Simpson, appears below.

Our preview of the men’s mid-d and distance action is here.

Women’s 1500: Jenny Simpson Faces Hellen Obiri In Her First 1500 in 6 Weeks

2011 world champion Jenny Simpson returns to her specialty, the 1500, for the first time in six weeks, and will clash with Kenyan Hellen Obiri, who won the Kenyan Trials last week.

Simpson’s last 1500 came on June 3rd, when she was third in Rome in 4:02.30, in a race that we said may have been the best performance in her life: Abeba Aregawi Dominates Yet Again As Jenny Simpson Impresses In Third (Others certainly thought we were exaggerating how well Simpson was running: LR, Stop the hyperbole! Race of her life? Jenny Simpson won WC gold!).

Since then, Simpson won USAs in the 5000 and then failed to impress last week in an 800, where she ran 2:02.15 in Madrid.

Obiri, the indoor 3000 champ last year who was last in the Olympic final in London, has been enjoying a nice year so this is a real good test for Simpson to see where she’s at. After finishing second to Abebe Aregawi in New York, Obiri won at Prefontaine in 3:58.58 and then won in Morocco, the Kenyan champs and Kenyan Trials. Unless Olympic silver medalist Gamze Bulut really comes on (as of now Bulut doesn’t even have a Moscow qualifier), Obiri might be the leading candidate for the silver behind Aregawi in Moscow.

At 3:58.58, Obiri is the fourth fastest woman in 2013. The fifth fastest woman is here as well, Viola Kibiwot. Kibiwot is going to Moscow in the 5000, where she was the runner-up at the Kenyan Trials.  The sixth fastest woman on the year is here as well in 2008 Olympic champ Nancy Lagat of Kenya, who is going to Moscow after finishing third at the Kenyan Trials.

20-year old Sifan Hassan is likely to lead the Ethiopian charge. She began the year with a 4:08.24 personal best but after a win in Ostrava and runner-up in Lausanne, she’s down to 4:03.73.

Four other Americans besides Simpson are in the field and we’re sure there very much looking forward to seeing how they stack up against Simpson in a high quality affair, since Simpson opted out of the 1500 at USAs as the defending World Champ. 2013 US 800 runner-up Brenda Martinez races for the first time since USAs as does 4-time US 150 Champ Treniere Moser (2013, 2005-2007). Gabriele Anderson races her fifth 1500 since June 30th. Shannon Rowbury, the 2009 World Champ bronze medallist, races the 1500 here but of course has to run the 5000 at Worlds.

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Quick Take #1: This is a huge race for anyone dreaming of a medal in Moscow – Obiri, Simpson, Martinez – whoever.  Moser is the 10th fastest woman in the world this year so weirder things have happened.

QT #2: One person who isn’t here is 2013 world #2 Faith Kipyegon of Kenya and we think that’s a wise move. The 19-year old was pretty close to Aregawi in the first meet of the year (3:56.60 to 3:56.98) but had been getting worse each time she ran (just 7th in Rome on June 6th). The month of no racing between Rome and the Kenyan Trials did her well as she was just .09 behind Obiri last week.

Women’s Steeple: Expect Chemos To Win Again, Will Kipp Get The ‘A’?

Kenyan champ Milcah Chemos is going to win this race. After finishing fifth in Doha, she’s won in Rome, Ostrava, Birmingham and then the Kenyan Trials.

She should have a pretty easy time of it as this field is a bit weak. There are no Ethiopians here for starters. Also the Olympic gold medalist, Yuliya Zaripova or Russia,  and silver medalist, Habiba Ghribi of Tunisia, rarely race on the circuit and aren’t here either.

2013 world leader Lidya Chepkurui of Kenya is here. She could challenge Chemos. Chepkurui was only fourth at the Kenyan Trials and then somewhat surprisingly left off the Kenyan squad for Moscow in favor of 21-year old Hyvin Jepkemo, who hasn’t raced in Europe all summer. The runner-up from the Kenyan trials, Gladys Kipkemboi, isn’t here as well. She’s only raced once on the circuit all year (9th in Rome) this year.

The big news really for US fans is whether or not 2012 US Olympian Shalaya Kipp qualifies for Moscow. The situation is real simple. If Kipp runs 9:43.00 or faster, she goes to Worlds. If she doesn’t, then the fourth placer at USA’s Jamie Cheever will go.

Ironically, Cheever is in this race as well. So Cheever very well might be setting a pace that helps Kipp take her spot at Worlds. Kipp ran a seasonal best of 9:46.83 at USAs, and 9:47.45 last week in France in a race where she fell on the next-to-last water jump: MB: News No One Seemed To Mention: Shalaya Kipp comes up short in ‘A’ standard attempt.

Quick Take #1: It’s worth noting that Olympic champ Yuliya Zaripova of Russia raced for the first time this year last week at the World University games in Kazan. She won easily in 9:28.00.

ORDER	ATHLETE	NATION	PB	SB	DIAMOND POINTS	DIAMOND RANKING
1-1	MCCOLGAN Eilish	GBR	9:38.45	9:41.50
1-2	CRUZ Clarisse	POR	9:30.06	9:52.66
1-3	CHEEVER Jamie	USA	9:29.13	9:29.13
1-4	KIPP Shalaya	USA	9:35.73	9:46.83
1-5	PERRAUX Claire	FRA	9:43.70	9:43.70
1-6	CHEMOS Milcah	KEN	9:07.14	9:16.14	8	2
1-7	KIRUI Purity	KEN	9:19.42	9:19.42
1-8	CHEPKURUI Lidya	KEN	9:13.75	9:13.75	10	1
1-9	CHEROTICH Fancy	KEN	9:28.04	9:28.04
1-10	NYAMBURA Virginia	KEN	9:59.06	9:59.06