Diamond League: Wanyonyi, Cherotich out to defend titles in Zurich
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Reading Time: 3min | Thu. 28.08.25. | 10:51
As well as prize money ranging between US$30,000 (Ksh3.876M) and US$50,000 (Ksh6.46M), there are wild card entries to the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 up for grabs for winners
Global gold medalists and world record-holders will descend on Zurich’s Letzigrund stadium in the fight for further honours during an action-packed second day of Wanda Diamond League Final competition on Thursday, 28 August.
The first six Diamond League champions were crowned at a street event on the Swiss city’s Sechseläutenplatz on day one of the Weltklasse Zürich, on Wednesday, while a busy stadium session on Thursday will see another 26 titles decided.
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The Kenyan charge is led by the 800m Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi and 3000m steeplechase Olympic and World bronze medalist Faith Cherotich, who are out to defend titles they won in 2024.
In the men’s 800m, Wanyonyi reignites rivalry with World champion Canada’s Marco Arop.
The Kenyan is hoping to get back to winning ways after his 1:43.29 second-place finish in Lausanne, behind world indoor champion Josh Hoey (1:42.82), who will also be on the field tonight.
“It is a very competitive field, but I just have to focus on my race, be alert on the track, and have a game plan for the last 200m. I know each of the runners here can win this race, and it will come down to the best prepared amongst us. I wish them the best, but I am here for victory,” Wanyonyi offered ahead of the race.
Despite his loss in Switzerland, Wanyonyi, who ran 1:41.44 in Monaco last month, goes into the race as a favourite, as will Arop, who placed fifth in Lausanne.
The field will also have Djamel Sedjati, Bryce Hoppel, and Mohamed Attaoui.
Meanwhile, Cherotich leads the women’s 3000m steeplechase field as she goes for back-to-back titles.
The in-form Cherotich last raced on the international stage at the Prefontaine Classic, finishing second behind Kenyan-born Bahraini Winfred Yavi.
As she goes to battle without her nemesis, Yavi, Cherotich will have her stiffest competition tonight, likely coming from another Kenyan-born athlete in Norah Jeruto of Kazakhstan, the only other athlete with a sub-9 season and personal best on the field.
In the men’s event, Germany’s Frederik Ruppert, who broke through with an 8:01.49 runner-up finish in Rabat, faces Abrham Sime and world U20 champion Edmund Serem, whose brother Amos won last year's title.
Elsewhere, a new Diamond League women’s 1500m champion will be crowned for the first time since 2021, with Faith Kipyegon opting not to defend her title, after four wins.
It could stay with Kenya through Nelly Chepchirchir, but she will have some very strong opposition from Australia’s Olympic silver medalist Jessica Hull, who has run 3:52.67 this year, as well as Sarah Healy and Birke Haylom.
Similarly, after three consecutive Diamond Trophy wins for Jakob Ingebrigtsen, there will be a new champion in the men’s 1500m, with world leader Azeddine Habz the favourite in a loaded field.
Kenyan youngster Phanuel Koech, four-time DL winner Timothy Cheruiyot, and former world U20 champion Reynold Cheruiyot are on the field, with Timothy keen to clinch a record-extending fifth title.
Niels Laros and Yared Nuguse, who has the additional motivation of targeting a wild card place for Tokyo, having missed out on automatic selection at the US Championships, add to the depth of the field.
The women’s 3000m field pits Ethiopia’s Hirut Meshesha and Likina Amebaw against Kenya’s Caroline Nyaga and Georgia Griffith.
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