Olympic bronze medallist Faith Cherotich delivered a sensational performance on Friday night to begin her 3000m steeplechase Diamond League title defence with a bang at the Doha Diamond League.
Cherotich shocked Olympic and world champion Winfred Mutile Yavi of Bahrain, winning the water-and-barrier event in a world-leading time of 9:05.08 in the Qatari capital.
Cherotich,20, the 2023 World Athletics Rising Star and former world U20 champion, executed a perfect tactical race—clearing the final barrier smoothly before surging past Yavi to win by just 0.18 seconds.
This marked her third career victory in 11 meetings against Yavi and her first of the season, having also beaten the Kenyan-born Bahraini to win the Diamond League Trophy last year in Brussels.
Cherotich previously claimed bronze at the Paris Olympics, finishing behind Yavi and Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai in a personal best of 8:55.15.
Kenya’s dominance extended beyond the steeplechase, with rising star Reynold Cheruiyot taking victory in the men’s 5000m.
The 2022 World U20 1500m champion surged ahead with a powerful final kick, clocking a personal best of 13:16.40 to edge out Switzerland’s Dominic Lobalu and Bahrain’s Birhanu Balew, who were separated by a photo finish after both posted 13:17.70.
In the women’s 1500m, Nelly Chepchirchir added another win for Kenya, outpacing compatriot and Olympian Susan Ejore to secure top spot. Chepchirchir finished in 4:05.00, followed by Ejore (4:06.27) and Britain’s Jemma Reekie (4:07.33).
Rounding off a successful night for Kenya, former Commonwealth Games champion Wycliffe Kinyamal secured third place in the men’s 800m.
Kinyamal posted a season’s best of 1:43.37 behind Botswana’s Tshepiso Maselela, who won in a world-leading 1:43.11, and American Bryce Hoppel, who clocked 1:43.26 for second.
