Kipyegon wins as Omanyala runs another sub-10 in China

The 32-year-old Kipyegon, who is a former world record holder in the women’s 5,000m, toasted to her 30th Diamond League victory, winning the race in 14 minutes and 24.14 seconds. Kipyegon took control of the race with 1,000m left and held on to win.

Kipyegon was making a return to Shanghai for the first time in nine years. It is in Shanghai where she made her second outing in the Diamond League, winning the 1,500m race in 3:56.82 in 2016.

Read: World champion Kipyegon to kick off her season in China

“I feel so good; it was a good race. It is a positive season-opener for me. My main goal was to see where we are at the moment, and where we can adjust and continue with the same spirit,” said Kipyegon.

She disclosed that she will continue running both the 1,500m and the 5,000m. 

“I just want to be the best version of myself and see how I perform,” said Kipyegon who had hinted at making another attempt on the 5,000m world record.

She has in the past expressed her desire to scale up to distance running.

In the men’s 100m, Leotlela and Omanyala relegated Americans Kenny Bednarek and Trayvon Bromell to third and fourth places in 9.98 and 10.01 respectively.

South Africa’s Akani Simbine (10.05) and Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo (10.12) of Botswana came sixth and seventh respectively, as 2019 world 100m champion Christian Coleman (10.19) finished eighth.

It was a great improvement from Omanyala, who finished ninth in Shanghai in 10.25 last year behind Simbine (9.98), Thompson (9.99) and Tebogo (10.03) respectively.

“I ran the race in under 10 seconds as planned and I am satisfied… the result is good and we move on from there. I hope to keep the performance consistent in the next race,” Omanyala said.

His next stop is Xiamen Diamond League planned for May 23.

Omanyala opened his Diamond League season last year in Xiamen, where he came second in 10.13 as  Simbine won in 9.99.

“We changed the training programme a little bit, we did more loading and we went to South Africa for training instead of doing so in Kenya, which really worked well for us,” he explained.

Omanyala is shaping up for the 2027 World Athletics Championships in Beijing, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. 

Read: Africa’s fastest man Omanyala looks to Europe for inspiration and glory

He won the 100m race at the Addis Ababa Grand Prix in 9.98 on April 18, 2026 and the Kip Keino Classic in 9.96 on April 24, 2026.

Then he finished third in 9.95 behind Canadians Jerome Blake (9.93) and Andre De Grasse (9.95) at the Botswana Golden Grand Prix on April 26.

Meanwhile, world 3,000m steeplechase champion, Faith Cherotich and world 1,500m bronze medallist, Reynold Kipkorir finished second in their respective races.

It was a close finish as Cherotich, competing for the first time since winning the world title in September, timed 8:51.48 in a race won by 2020 Tokyo Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai in 8:51:47.

Kipkorir stormed to a personal best 7:26.11 for second place behind Mohamed Abdilaahi of Germany who registered a meet record, national record and world lead of 7:25.77. 

The meet record of 7:36.36 held by Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele had stood for two decades.

World 1,500m silver medallist, Dorcas Ewoi sank to fifth in the women’s 1,500m race in 3:57.74 as Ethiopian Birke Haylom won in a meet record and world lead of 3:55.56. Kipyegon held the previous meet record of 3:56.82 from 2016.

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