Shanghai DL: Omanyala sprints to another sub-10 as Gift Leotlela shines

Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, continued his strong start to the season after clocking yet another sub-10 performance, running 9.98 seconds to finish second in the men’s 100m at the Shanghai Diamond League held on Saturday, 16 May.

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Omanyala, who arrived in Shanghai fresh from anchoring Kenya’s 4x100m relay team to a national record at the World Athletics Relays in Botswana, got off the blocks sharply and looked in control through the early phases.

However, South Africa’s Gift Leotlela proved strongest down the home straight to clinch victory in the tightly contested sprint in 9.97 seconds.

The race was decided by hundredths of a second, with Omanyala forced to settle for second place in 9.98, while the United States’ Kenneth Bednarek completed the podium, also stopping the clock at 9.98 in a dramatic photo finish.

Despite missing out on top honours, Omanyala’s consistency in dipping under the 10-second barrier once again underlined his growing form ahead of a packed international season.

Cheruiyot bags silver as Abdilaahi breaks meet record in 3,000m thriller

The men’s 3,000m delivered one of the most tactical and dramatic races of the evening, with Kenya’s Reynold Cheruiyot opening his 2026 Diamond League campaign with a silver medal after a powerful final-lap surge.

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The 2025 Tokyo World Championships 1,500m bronze medallist held his composure in a fast-moving pack that saw frequent reshuffles through the middle stages of the race.

At different points, Kenyan runners Timothy Cheruiyot, Cornelius Kemboi, Matthew Kipchumba, Ishmael Rokitto and Edwin Kurgat all featured in the leading group, with positions shifting constantly as the pace intensified approaching the bell.

With one and a half laps remaining, Reynold Cheruiyot moved sharply into contention, briefly climbing into second as the front group began to string out.

Timothy Cheruiyot and Kemboi also battled within the top five, while Kipchumba remained in podium contention heading into the final lap.

On the bell, the decisive moves were made. Germany’s Abdilaahi Mohammed unleashed a devastating kick, pulling clear to take victory in a world-leading and meet record time of 7:25.77, also setting a national record for Germany.

Behind him, Reynold Cheruiyot responded strongly but could not close the gap, finishing second in a personal best of 7:26.11. Sweden’s Andreas Almgren claimed third in a national record of 7:26.48.

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Timothy Cheruiyot narrowly missed out on a podium finish in fourth place, clocking 7:27.24, while Matthew Kipchumba came in sixth in 7:27.58 after a tightly contested final lap.

Kenya’s Cornelius Kemboi also featured prominently in the leading pack through the race’s crucial stages but faded slightly in the closing meters as the pace proved too hot in the final sprint.