Kenyan-born Bahraini Winfred Yavi returns to Rome Diamond League after two years
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Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 20.04.26. | 07:34
While the steeplechase remains her signature event, Yavi has steadily proven her range on the track
Kenyan-born Bahraini star Winfred Yavi is set for a return to the Rome Diamond League after a two-year absence, headlining a glittering cast of Olympic champions at the iconic Stadio Olimpico on Thursday, 4 June.
Yavi, who struck headlines in 2024 at the same venue with the second-fastest women’s 3000m steeplechase time in history, missing the world record by just 0.07 seconds, returns with on a different assignment this time.
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The 27-year-old will compete in the 5000m, where she is expected to face stiff competition from Italy’s home favorite Nadia Battocletti.
While the steeplechase remains her signature event, Yavi has steadily proven her range on the track.
At the 2025 Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, she delivered a commanding double, clinching gold in both the 3000m steeplechase and 5000m.
Her finishing kick was particularly decisive in the latter, as she surged ahead in the final lap to seal victory.
Her 5000m credentials were further cemented in June 2024, when she clocked a national record of 14:41.99 in Liège.
Yavi will be in elite company in Rome, with American shot-put legend Ryan Crouser and New Zealand high jump star Hamish Kerr also confirmed for the meet.
The trio of Paris 2024 Olympic champions adds further star power to a line-up that already includes sprint sensation Noah Lyles, middle-distance ace Keely Hodgkinson, and sprint standouts Julien Alfred and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.
Crouser returns to Rome with fond memories, having won the 2024 edition with a throw of 22.49m, one of 15 career Diamond League victories.
The world record holder and reigning Olympic and world champion is set to resume full competition in 2026 after an injury-hit 2025 season.
Rome will mark his second outing of the campaign, following scheduled appearances in Xiamen and Eugene.
For Kerr, the stakes in Rome carry a personal edge.
The reigning Diamond League champion, who completed a rare triple crown of Olympic, world, and Diamond League titles, is aiming for redemption after finishing sixth at last year’s Golden Gala.
Currently ranked world number one in the men’s high jump, the New Zealander will be keen to reassert his dominance.
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The Rome meeting marks the fourth leg of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League, a global series that began in Shanghai/Keqiao on May 16 and will culminate in the two-day final in Brussels on September 4–5.
Spanning 15 cities across four continents, the circuit continues to bring together the world’s top track and field athletes in some of the sport’s most historic arenas.