The latest leg of the Wanda Diamond League in the Swedish capital Stockholm saw a host of meeting records broken as African athletes excelled in their preparations for the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Kenya’s Hyvin Kiyeng secured the women’s 3,000m steeplechase in 9:04.34 as the 2015 world champion shattered the meeting record. Kiyeng’s compatriot and world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech came in third in 9:10.52 behind Germany’s Gesa Felicitas Krause who finished in 9:09.13.
Kenyan world champion Timothy Cheruiyot won the men’s 1,500m in a time of 3:32.30, his third victory at the event in Stockholm. Another Kenyan Ronald Kwemoi took bronze in 3:33.53 while Ugandan Ronald Musagala finished a further place behind.
Cheruiyot, who finished fourth during the Kenyan Olympic trials, is yet to know whether he will be included in the team to Tokyo. The 25-year-old Commonwealth Games silver medalist ran a world-leading time of 3:30.48 to win at the Doha Diamond League in May.
Sprinters Marie-Josée Ta Lou of Côte d’Ivoire (22.36 seconds) and Beatrice Masilingi of Namibia came second and third respectively in the women’s 200m event, which was won by Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson in 22.10 seconds. Masilingi also set a national record of 22.65 in the process.
Ethiopia’s Samuel Firewu claimed the men’s 3,000m steeplechase in 8:20.27, while compatriot Diribe Welteji won the women’s 1,500m in 4:00.68.
Kenya’s Jonathan Kitilit won the men’s 800m in 1:44.68 and his fellow countryman and world bronze medalist Ferguson Rotich clocked 1:43.84 to win the men’s 800m ahead of Canadian Marco Arop.
The next meeting is scheduled to be held in Monaco on July 9. The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games is expected to be held on July 23 and the closing ceremony will be held on August 8.
