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PARIS, June 30-- Bahrain's Ruth Jebet wanted to repeat her feat in the IAAF Diamond League Paris meeting one year ago to improve on current world record. Jebet set the women's 3,000m steeplechase world record of 8:52.78 at the Stade de France in 2016, bettering the previous record by more than six seconds. "I'm very happy to be back in Paris where I beat the world record last season. The crowds helped me a lot to achieve it. I do not forget about that. Now, I would like to defend my world record and even improve it," said Jebet, who clinched the gold medal in the Rio Olympic Games last year, said at the press briefing here on Friday. French crowds may expect a star-studded Paris meeting on Saturday. No fewer than seven Olympic champions, including Jebet, will appear at the Charlety Stadium in the south of Paris. Local favorite Renaud Lavillenie, the 2017 London Olympics men's pole vault gold medalist, is expected to face tough challenge from American Sam Kendricks, the only athlete to cross over the six-meter bar this season. Kendricks also upset Lavillenie at the Shanghai meeting in May. "At the beginning of the season, I found it hard to jump (due to injury) in February. It was not easy when I tried to come back. I had great training in April, and I wanted to start the competition in May, that's why I went to Shanghai," explained Lavillenie, men's indoor world record holder at 6.16m. "During the last days or weeks, the conditions were not too good, with wind and rain, and I could not use the full run away. But I cannot be in a hurry, it's just the end of June. I can keep working in this way, and look forward to the meeting tomorrow," he added. | 
