Omanyala finishes 7th as Kenyans endure winless outing at Shanghai Diamond League
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Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 03.05.25. | 16:41
Kenyans registered a mixed bag of performances as South Africa and Ethiopia took centre stage
Kenyan track and field stars endured a gold-less outing at the second leg of the 2025 Wanda Diamond League held on Saturday, 3 May in Shanghai, China.
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Kenyans registered a mixed bag of performances as South Africa and Ethiopia took centre stage.
Akani Simbine’s fine form continues
South Africa’s Akani Simbine lit up the track after clocking a blistering 9.82 seconds to win the men’s 100m. The result saw him continue his impressive early-season form.
Fresh from his 9.99 victory in Xiamen, Simbine stormed to another win, sending a clear message ahead of the Tokyo World Athletics Championships.
Jamaica’s Thompson Kishane followed closely, clocking 9.99, while Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo settled for third in 10.03.
Both Kishane and Tebogo registered season bests in a photo-finish race.
Ferdinand Omanyala, who finished second in Xiamen with 10.00, struggled to keep up the pace and placed seventh in 10.25 seconds.
Omanyala will have a chance to respond when he lines up for the World Athletics Relays slated for Saturday, 10 to Sunday, 11 May in Guangzhou, China.
Nicholas Kipkorir finishes fourth in 5,000m
In the 5,000m, Nicholas Kipkorir delivered a spirited run, finishing fourth in a season-best time of 12:56.81.
While impressive, it was not enough to crack the podium. Ethiopians dominated the event, with Aregawi Berihu taking gold in 12:50.45, followed closely by Girma Kuma (12:50.69) and Some Mezgebu (12:51.86), who claimed second and third, respectively.
Ethiopia dominates 3,000m S/C
Kenya’s brightest hope for gold came in the 3,000m steeplechase, where World U20 champion Edmund Serem came heartbreakingly close to victory.
Seren clocked 8:07.68, but was outkicked in the final stages by Ethiopia’s Sime Abrham, who crossed the line in 8:07.92.
Simon Koech secured bronze in 8:09.05, while Abraham Kibiwott placed seventh. Wilberforce Chemist did not finish the race.
With the Shanghai leg now behind them, the Kenyans will be eager to regroup and improve as the Diamond League caravan heads to Doha on Saturday, 16 May.
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