Xiamen DL: Omanyala cruises to comfortable victory as Faith Cherotich seals podium finish
Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 23.05.26. | 16:32
Omanyala headed to Xiamen riding on confidence after finishing second at last weekend’s Shanghai Diamond League, where he timed 9.97 seconds
Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, stormed to victory at the Xiamen Diamond League on Saturday, 23 May, producing another blistering performance as the 2026 Diamond League season gathered pace in China.
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The Commonwealth Games defending champion clocked 9.94 seconds to win the men’s 100m in emphatic fashion, leading from gun to tape in one of his most dominant displays this season.
Omanyala headed to Xiamen riding on confidence after finishing second at last weekend’s Shanghai Diamond League, where he timed 9.97 seconds.
The sub-10 run in Xiamen marked his fourth consecutive sub-10 performance of the season, showcasing his consistency ahead of a busy campaign.
The Men's 100m African record holder is on fire 😤🇰🇪
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) May 23, 2026
Ferdinand Omanyala beats out a stacked field at the #XiamenDL 👟💨#SSAthletics pic.twitter.com/eSPE8cOwVj
Ewoi narrowly misses podium in 1,500m
In the women’s 1,500m, Dorcas Ewoi narrowly missed out on a podium finish after an aggressive race that saw her remain in contention for most of the contest.
The race was run at a fast pace, inspired by the world-leading 3:55.56 set by Faith Kipyegon. Ewoi, easily identifiable in her pink shorts on the outside lane, stayed among the leaders through the closing laps.
As the race intensified, Ewoi briefly moved into third place behind Ethiopia’s Birke Haylom and Australia’s Jessica Hull before fading in the final lap as the leading pack unleashed powerful finishing kicks.
Abbey Caldwell won the race in 3:57.26, with Haylom finishing second in 3:57.79 after claiming her maiden Diamond League victory in Shanghai last weekend.
American Emily Mackay completed the podium in a season-best 3:58.13, while Ewoi settled for fourth place in 3:58.91.
Ethiopians dominate men’s 5,000m
In the men’s 5,000m, Ethiopia dominated proceedings as Addisu Yihune produced a meet record and world lead of 12:57.32 to take victory.
Germany’s Mohamed Abdilaahi, who won in Shanghai last weekend, came second in a season-best 12:57.90, while Ethiopia’s Biniam Mehary finished third in a season-best 12:58.51.
Kenya’s challenge was led by Edwin Kurgat, who finished fifth in a season-best 13:01.47, while Cornelius Kemboi crossed the line eighth in 13:08.45.
Chemutai shines as Faith Cherotich claims podium finish
The women’s 3,000m steeplechase also delivered fireworks as Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai maintained her impressive form with victory in a world-leading and meeting record time of 8:51.06.
Olympic champion Winfred Yavi finished second in a season-best 8:51.54, while 2026 World Champion Faith Cherotich completed the podium in 8:52.53.