Three Kenyan athletes set world leading times at the Wanda Diamond League in Doha,Qatar on Friday 28 May 2021.
Timothy Cheruiyot, Wycliffe Kinyamal and Norah Jeruto all made the headlines with Faith Kipyegon and Beatrice Chebet winning their respective races too.
World champion Timothy Cheruiyot comfortably won the men's 1500m posting 3:30:48 which is the world leading time in the distance race in 2021.
Commonwealth champion Wycliffe Kinyamal became the first athlete to run under 1:44 for 800m this season, the Kenyan clocking 1:43.91 ahead of world bronze medallist Ferguson Rotich (1:44.45) and Britain’s Daniel Rowden (1:44.60).
Norah Jeruto won a thrilling women’s 3000m steeplechase with the quickest time in the world so far this year.She kept her composure after a very fast start to gain a dominant victory, while her compatriot Hyvin Kiyeng, the 2015 world champion, suffered a fall at the final water jump.
As Jeruto claimed a clear win in 9:00.67, Mekides Abebe had a breakthrough in second place – the 20-year-old clocking 9:02.52 to set an Ethiopian record. Just behind her was Bahrain’s Winfred Mutile Yavi, who also improved her best with 9:02.64, and Kiyeng got back to her feet to finish fourth in 9:07.58, one place ahead of the USA’s 2017 world champion Emma Coburn.
“I feel very good,” said Jeruto, who next plans to race in Oslo. “I was very well prepared for today.”Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon saved her energy for a fast final 200m, kicking away from Jamaica’s Natoya Goule and Morocco’s Rababe Arafi to dominate the women's 800m in 1:58.26. Goule had been to the fore as the group decided not to go with the pacemaker. Making their move on the second lap, Kipyegon and Arafi surged ahead but Goule came through for second in 1:59.70 as Arafi was third in 1:59.83.
“I’m very excited to be here,” said Kipyegon, racing for the first time this year and back in the city where she set her 800m, 1500m and 3000m PBs as well as claimed world 1500m silver. “The pandemic wasn’t easy, but we always try to be great. I’m training so hard and hoping to do my best."
21-year-old Beatrice Chebet was another to have the track race of her life in Doha, with the world U20 cross country champion running a big PB of 8:27.49 to set a 3000m world lead and beat her more experienced compatriots. Margaret Kipkemboi, the world 5000m silver medallist, was second in 8:28.27 while Lilian Renguruk was third in 8:28.96 and two-time world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri fourth in 8:33.98.