Melissa Courtney’s wonder season could be about to get even better after she was included in the 5000 metres for the world famous Weltklasse event in Zurich on Thursday.
The Commonwealth Games 1500 metre bronze medallist has already bagged two Welsh records this year over 3000 and 5000 metres and could threaten here all-time best of 15:04.75 record in Berlin as she finished fifth at the European Championships.
With 11 athletes in the field who have run times below 15 minutes the pace is likely to be consistently high enough to potentially drag the new queen of Welsh middle distance running through to a very fast time.
Fellow Brit Eilish McColgan, who struck silver in Berlin ahead of team-mate Courtney, is one of those with a season’s best time of 14:52.83 that tops the current British rankings. Courtney is ranked second in the UK and 20th in the world for 2018.
Of the 18 athletes ahead of her in the official IAAF World Rankings, eight of the current top 10 will be on the start line in Zurich. The fastest athlete in the world this year is Kenya’s Hellen Obiri (14:21.75), who took the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, with the Dutch qualified Sifan Hassan (14:22.34) not far behind.
Also in the field this week will be the world 1500 metre record holder Genzebe Dibaba. She won the 5000 metres at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene in May in 14:26.89.
MELISSA COURTNEY IN MAJOR RACES 2018
1500 10 Apr Commonwealth Games 3rd 4:03.44 PB
5000 14 Apr Commonwealth Games 9th 15:46.60
Mile 3 Jun Hengelo FBK Games 5th 4:27.29
5000 8 Jun Nijmegen Next Generation 1st 15:16.51 PB
5000 1 Jul British Champs 2nd 16:07.59
1500 5 Jul Lausanne Athletissima 10th 4:06.27
3000 21 Jul London Anniversary Games 5th 8:46.33
5000 12 Aug European Championships 5th 15:04.75 Welsh Record
3000 18 Aug Birmingham Grand Prix 5th 8:39.20 Welsh Record