Yared Nuguse seized his chance to join an elite club in Zurich, on a night when the defending Olympic champions struggled against challenging weather conditions.
In the final Wanda Diamond League meeting before the Brussels final on September 13 and 14, the American Olympian, who claimed bronze in the Paris final, became the latest competitor to defeat Jakob Ingebrigtsen in a major 1500m race.
Nuguse’s winning move came halfway down the home stretch, where he surged past Ingebrigtsen to claim victory in a stunning 3:29.21, despite there being no medals on offer.
The 2024 Zurich Weltklasse also featured a high-caliber women’s 100m hurdles, where Olympic champion Masai Russell finished third, and a bold but unsuccessful world record attempt by Beatrice Chebet. However, the highlight of the night was Nuguse’s 1500m performance.
His time of 3:29.21 marked a tactical masterclass, akin to Josh Kerr’s world championship win in Budapest last year, Jake Wightman’s victory in the 2022 world final in Oregon, and his fellow American Cole Hocker’s recent Olympic triumph.
Ingebrigtsen, finishing second in 3:29.52, was still recovering from an infection that had plagued him since his world-record 3000m run in Silesia on August 25, where he clocked 7:17.55. Despite this, he led for much of the race after pacemaker Elliot Giles, the world road mile record holder, dropped out at the bell. But with Nuguse hot on his heels,
Ingebrigtsen couldn’t hold on, and the American capitalized on the opportunity, surging ahead for the win.
Cole Hocker took third in 3:30.46, overtaking Josh Kerr, who finished fifth in 3:31.46. Niels Laros of the Netherlands put in a strong effort to finish fourth in 3:31.23. Nuguse, reflecting on his victory, said, “I just focused on avoiding mistakes. Winning an Olympic medal has boosted my confidence, and my goal now is to win again in Brussels and claim the Diamond League trophy.”
Meanwhile, Gudaf Tsegay, who set a 5000m world record last year, was overshadowed by Beatrice Chebet, who posted a world-leading 5000m time of 8:25.77, though she ultimately ran two laps alone after breaking away early in the race.
