Dibaba and Ayana to Clash in Paris

Published by the IAAF on June 30, 2015

Both women have already come close to breaking the 5000m world record in recent weeks, but at the Meeting Areva on 4 July Almaz Ayana and Genzebe Dibaba will face each other for the first time this year in a bid to run faster than 14:11.15 at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Paris.

The world record has stood to Dibaba’s older sister Tirunesh since 2008, but it came under threat at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Shanghai earlier this year when Ayana clocked a world-leading 14:14.32.

Genzebe Dibaba, who set a world indoor record of 14:18.86 for the distance earlier this year, triumphed over 5000m at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Eugene at the end of May in an outdoor PB of 14:19.76.

Ayana's participation in Paris was announced earlier this month, but the addition of Dibaba means fans at the Stade de France will be treated to once of the most eagerly awaited head-to-heads of 2015.