Walcott finishes fifth at Paris Diamond League

In a very strong field of the world’s leading javelin throwers, Trinidad and Tobago’s Rio Olympics bronze medallist missed his first attempt and barely improved on his second to secure fifth position with a throw of 82.40 metres on his third, after the second landed 81.42m.

Germany’s Rio Olympics gold medallist Thomas Rohler also struggled yesterday and finished in third position with a throw of 84.16m on his third attempt.

The winner was Czechoslovakia’s Jakub Tadlejch who recorded a personal best of 88.32m with his third attempt while Germany’s Julian Webster took second spot with 87.39 in his third throw.

However, the highlight of the meet was the magnificent performance of Bahrain’s Rio Olympics gold medallist Ruth Jebet who set a new world record of eight minutes 52.78 seconds in the 3,000m steeplechase race.

Jebet’s time bettered the previous mark of 8:58.81, set by Russian Gulnara Galkina, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.