by Justin LagatThe Diamond League is upon us!
Thanks to Justin Lagat, we have a preview on the Doha Diamond league, which will happen this coming Friday, May 13. Justin gives us a play by play on the middle distance events and what could happen in the Quatar Sports Club!
Watch for tweets from Justin Lagat, Deji Ogeyingbo, Stuart Weir and myself, keeping you up to date! And do not miss watching the Doha Diamond League via Peacocok TV on Friday, May 13, 2022 at 11 am Eastern, 10 am Central and 8 am Pacific US time!
Faith Kipyegon won at the Doha Dl 2021, will she do it again? photo by Diamond League Ag
The 13th series of the one-day Wanda Diamond League meetings kick off this Friday the 13th of May in Doha; the capital city of Qatar.
The Doha meeting will offer athletic fans a chance to get a glimpse of how the men’s 3000m steeplechase final could unfold at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon in July as all the top five finishers from the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games meet up again in the men’s 3000m steeplechase event. Will the order remain the same?
Morroco’s Souffiane El Bakkali had finally managed to beat the hitherto dominant Kenyans in their favorite event in Tokyo last year, then followed them to their home country slightly over a month later and beat them again at the Kip Keino Classic continental Tour meeting in Nairobi. The best-placed Kenyan was Benjamin Kigen who had finished 3rd behind Ethiopia’s Lamecha Girma.
At the recent world continental event in Nairobi, Abraham Kibiwott who had finished in 10th position at the Olympic Games managed to beat Kigen to third place and registered an impressive seasonal best time of 8:21.92 at altitude, which is a good indication that he could be the best placed Kenyan to bring back the steeplechase glory to his country.
Some of the world’s best middle-distance women runners will be meeting in the women’s 3000m race that has world and Olympic champion 1500m runner, Faith Kipyegon (8:23.55); World and Olympic 800m silver medallist, Francine Niyonsaba (8:19.08), and world record holder for the women’s 3000m steeplechase, Beatrice Chepkoech (8:22.92).
Ethiopia’s Girmawit Gebrzihair, who just ran alone at the front to win the women’s 5000m event at the Kip Keino Classic World Continental Tour Gold meeting in Nairobi in a world-leading time of 14:49.97, has been having a tremendous year having also registered a world-leading time of 1:04:14 to win the RAK half marathon earlier in the year. It will be worth keeping an eye on her.
Kenya’s new kid in the block; Noah Kibet, the world indoor silver medalist who just won the Kenyan national championships last month will be seeking to upset senior runners in the men’s 800m race that has USA’s 2019 World Champion, Donavan Brazier; Kenya’s Olympic silver and world bronze medalist, Ferguson Rotich, Canada’s 2019 Pan-American Games Gold medallist, Arop Marco and Kenya’s 2018 Commonwealth Games champion, Wycliffe Kinyamal.
Olympic silver medallist, Timothy Cheruiyot will be the big star to watch out for in the men’s 1500m race. However, after a world-leading time of 3:31.01 at altitude this past weekend in Nairobi, Abel Kipsang looks to be in the best shape of his life and could be the main contender here. But, Ethiopia’s 2019 world silver medallist, Yomif Kejelcha could cause an upset to the two Kenyans. Front running Stewart Mcsweyn who holds Australian national records for 1500m, one mile, and the 3000m will also be there. He could surprise as well if they let him open a big gap at the front as it happened in 2020 at the same stadium when he was 50m ahead of his competitors at the bell and continued to maintain the lead to cross the finish line in an Australian record of 3:30.52.
