Cherotich, Wanyonyi deliver Kenyan double at Diamond League final

World 3000m steeplechase champion Faith Cherotich and Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi delivered a Kenyan double at the Brussels Diamond League final on Friday night, both setting meet records in a night of fierce rivalries.

Cherotich, 22, stormed to victory in the women’s 3000m steeplechase in 8:51.61, breaking the previous Memorial Van Damme meeting record and claiming her third Diamond Trophy with a world leading time.

She first claimed her maiden Diamond Trophy in Brussels by defeating Olympic champion Winfred Yavi in 2024 before successfully defending her title at the final in Zurich, securing her hat-trick of consecutive titles on Friday.

Cherotich was followed home by fellow Kenyan Doris Lemngole who ran a personal best of 8:52.86, while Kenyan-born Bahraini and Olympic champion Yavi settled for third in 8:53.54 after being outkicked on the final water jump.

Read: World 800m champion Wanyonyi poised to earn Sh27m in one week

For Cherotich, it was more than just a win; it was a statement in the hottest rivalry in women’s distance running.

The first meeting between Cherotich and Yavi this season came in Xiamen, China, on May 23, where Yavi finished second in 8:51.54, ahead of Cherotich, who was third in 8:52.53 with Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai winning the race in 8:51.06.

Cherotich then struck back spectacularly at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene on July 4, winning the race in 8:51.74, after moving clear of Yavi in the closing stages. Yavi was second in 8:52.84, while Tunisia’s Marwa Bouzayani finished third in a national record of 8:54.32.

It was Cherotich’s first Diamond League appearance of the season and a statement victory over the Olympic champion.

Yavi responded when the pair met again in Lausanne on August 21. The Bahraini produced a meet record 9:00.04 to edge Cherotich, who clocked 9:01.90 for second. Bouzayani was third in 9:05.55.

Cherotich nevertheless responded immediately in Zurich six days later, where she won in 8:55.82.

On Friday, Cherotich opted to run conservatively in the opening kilometres. Yavi injected pace at the 2,000m, as Cherotich, who is coached by Bernard Rono in Kericho County, responded to stay in touch.

Meanwhile, NCAA sensation Lemngole stuck to the leading group. Cherotich attacked at the last water jump to storm to victory.

“I had trained really hard to win this Diamond League trophy. I was not very sure during the race that I was going to win,” she said.

“This was my last race of the season and overall I can say it was a very good season. I made some progress and I am hungry to start the preparation of the next season”.

In the men’s 800m, Emmanuel Wanyonyi produced a carbon copy of his Paris Olympic final, leading from gun to tape.

Read: Injured Omanyala pulls out of Diamond League final and World Ultimate Championships

The 22-year-old won in a meeting record of 1:41.80, just three days after World Athletics ratified his 2:11.83 1,000m world record run in Monaco. He led through 400m in 50.95, and no one could match his speed.

“Today was all about winning and I knew that I had to run 1:41 to win,” said the Kapsabet-based athlete.

Algeria’s Sedjati, the Olympic bronze medallist, came in second, clocking 1:42.71, while Yanis Meziane from France sealed the podium positions in 1:42.87.

Phanuel Koech also competed in one of the competitive races in the men’s 1,500m race which was a photo-finish second in a season’s best of 3:30.18 behind Australia’s Cameron Myers who clocked 3:30.14.

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