The 2018 Diamond League opens up on Friday, May 4. Here’s our friend from Kenya, Justin Lagat, speaking on all things middle distance and some of the excitement coming in Doha.
Helen Obiri, photo by PhotoRun.net
The first IAAF Diamond league meeting of the season has assembled such great fields, especially in the distance track events, that are sure to make it one of the most memorable and thrilling meetings this year.
Eunice Sum decided to move up from the 800m event to the 1500m event, and so did Caster Semenya. Both will be in action in the women 1500m race against other great stars in the distance that include Winny Chebet of Kenya and Tsegay Gudaf of Ethiopia, among others.
Despite not offering any diamond league points, the men’s 1500m event also promises a thrilling race. Fresh from surprising everyone by beating Yomif Kejelja and Paul Chelimo at a recent 3000m indoor race in Glasgow, Justus Soget will be here to prove that he is now the man to beat in the middle distance events. But, one thing is sure. It won’t be easy for him in the loaded field that will include Abdelaati Iguider, Bethwel Birgen, Vincent Kibet, Collins Cheboi and the new Manangoi, George Manangoi, among other big stars.
Michael Saruni who just ran a world leading time of 1:43.25 at the Desert Heat Classic in Tucson, Arizona won’t be at the start line of the men’s 800m race, but his training partner under the same coach will be the one to watch here. Emmanuel Korir’s personal best time of 1:43.10 is the third fastest on paper after Murphy Clayton’s 1:42.93 and Rotich Ferguson’s 1:42.84, but if indeed they had been in the same training program with Saruni, then it won’t be hard to guess how the race will unfold for Korir, especially after the motivation he will be getting from Saruni’s success. Others to watch here will include Elijah Manangoi, Adam Kszczot, Nicholas Kipkoech and Kipyegon Bett.
The women’s 3000m race will be another interesting one to watch in that some 10,000m specialists like Agnes Tirop will be running against some 1500m specialists like Jenny Simpson. Some, like Hellen Obiri, will be in their usual territory. About two weeks ago, Tirop tested each other with Hyvin Kiyeng at a local Athletics Kenya track meeting in Eldoret in a spectacular 1500m race and it will be exciting to watch the two do it again in Doha this weekend.
The men’s 3000m steeplechase event won’t be offering any diamond league points, but new stars will definitely be discovered here.
1500m Women
1. AKKAOUI Malika MAR 4:03.36
2. ARAFI, Rababe MAR 4:01.75
3. BUCKMAN, Zoe AUS 4:03.22
4. CHEBET Winny KEN 3:59.16
5. HALL, Linden AUS 4:01.78
6. JEPKOSGEI Nelly KEN 4:02.75
7. KIYENG Judith KEN 4:04.4h
8. SADO Besu ETH 3:59.47
9. SEMENYA Caster RSA 4:00.71
10. SUM Eunice Jepkoech KEN 4:01.54
11. TESHALE Alemaz ETH 4:04.94
12. TSEGAY Gudaf ETH 3:59.55
13. TUEI Emily Cherotich KEN 4:12.47
14. YARIGO Noélie BEN 4:27.21
3000m Steeplechase Men (non diamond event)
1. AMARE, Hailemariyam ETH 8:13.39
2. BEYO, Chala ETH 8:13.24
3. CHEMUTAI, Albert UGA 8:19.89
4. DERIBA, Tesfaye ETH 8:13.33
5. GIRMA, Tesfaye ETH 8:16.14
6. KEMBOI, Clement Kimutai KEN 8:10.65
7. KIPRONO, Emmanuel KEN 8:26.44
8. KIPSANG, Lawrence Kemboi KEN 8:17.79
9. KIPYEGO, Barnabas KEN 8:09.13
10. LAGAT Justus KEN 8:18.46
11. MEYAN Cleophas Kandie KEN 8:30.9h
12. NGANGA, Bernard KEN 8:05.88
13. NURGI, Tolosa ETH 8:22.79
14. SAIFELDIN, Muhand Khamis QAT 9:08.82
15. SALAH Hashim Mohamed QAT 8:33.25
16. SOBOKA Tafese ETH 8:13.22
17. TINDOUFT Mohamed MAR 8:20.28
18. YEGO Hillary Kipsang KEN 8:03.57
1500m Men (non diamond event)
1. BELLEMORE Corey CAN 3:42.05
2. BIRGEN, Bethwell KEN 3:30.77
3. CHEBOI Collins KEN 3:30.34
4. EL KAAM Fouad MAR 3:33.71
5. GREGSON Ryan AUS 3:31.06
6. IGUIDER, Abdelaati MAR 3:28.79
7. KIBET, Vincent KEN 3:31.96
8. KIVUVA, Jackson Mumbwa KEN 3:41.63
9. MANANGOI, George Meitamei KEN 3:36.20
10. MOUSAB Adam Ali QAT 3:36.67
11. ROTICH Andrew Kiptoo KEN 3:43.43
12. SIMOTWO Charles Cheboi KEN 3:32.59
13. SOGET Justus KEN 3:32.97
14. TOLOSA, Taresa ETH 3:34.47
15. WILLIAMSZ, Jordan AUS 3:36.74
800m Men
1. ALZOFAIRI, Ebrahim KUW 1:46.29
2. BETT Kipyegon KEN 1:43.76
3. GAKEME Antoine BDI 1:44.09
4. HAIRANE Jamal QAT 1:46.16
5. KIPKOECH Nicholas Kiplangat KEN 1:43.37
6. KORIR Emmanuel Kipkurui KEN 1:43.10
7. KSZCZOT Adam POL 1:43.30
8. MANANGOI, Elijah Motonei KEN 1:44.8h
9. MURPHY Clayton USA 1:42.93
10. ROTICH, Ferguson Cheruiyot KEN 1:42.84
11. SOM, Bram NED 1:43.45
3000m Women
1. CAN Yasemin TUR 8:53.16
2. DEGEFA Beyenu ETH 8:41.76
3. GIDEY Letesenbet ETH 9:04.64
4. JERUTO Norah KEN 9:24.02
5. KIPKIRUI Caroline Chepkoech KEN 8:51.28
6. KIYENG Hyvin KEN 9:07.51
7. KURIA Mary KEN
8. LACAZE Genevieve AUS 8:52.28
9. MAMO Meskerem ETH
10. MCCOLGAN Eilish GBR 8:31.00
11. MINSEWO Aberash ETH 9:21.75
12. OBIRI, Hellen KEN 8:20.68
13. RENGERUK Lilian Kasait KEN 8:32.73
14. SIMPSON Jenny USA 8:29.58
15. TESFAY Fotyen ETH 8:47.46
16. TIROP Agnes Jebet KEN 8:35.23
17. TUEI Sandrafelis Chebet KEN 8:50.18
18. TVERDOSTUP Tamara UKR
