Faith Cherotich shatters records and Emmanuel Wanyonyi claims season's best at Oslo Diamond League
Bronze medallist Faith Cherotich of Kenya celebrates after the 3000m Steeplechase final at the Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France on August 06, 2024.
Olympic 3,000-metre bronze medallist Faith Cherotich cracked a Meet Record while Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi ran season's best as the Oslo Diamond League went down on Thursday in the Norwegian capital.
Paris 2024 Olympics - Athletics - Men's 800m Final - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - August 10, 2024. Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya celebrates with his national flag after winning gold.
Not only did Cherorich shatter the previous MR of nine minutes and 03.71 seconds set by Norah Jeruto of Kazakhstan in 2019 when she romped home in 9:02.60 but also improved her World Lead (WL).
After Cherotich stunned Olympic champion Winfred Yavi in Doha, winning in a WL time of 9:05.08 on May 16, the world bronze medallist yet again reigned supreme over the Kenyan-born Bahraini in Oslo.
Yavi, the reigning world champion, settled for second place again in a season-best 9:02.76 after Cherotich held her at the home straight to triumph.
"The race was good. I have run here before and the atmosphere is always good, hence I expected a good person, " said Cherotich, affirming that her target this year is to win the world title in Tokyo in September.
Kenya's Faith Cherotich celebrates with the flag after winning the women's 3,000m steeplechase final at the World Athletics Under-20 Championships in Cali, Colombia on August 5, 2022.
"I also want to run good times, but I have to do well in training and keep running well towards the world championships, " explained Cherotich.
However, Cherotich noted that there are other athletes who are equally good but hastened that she is going to fight and do what she can to be the best.
"It will be a different result in Tokyo this time, world, " said Cherotich, who finished third both at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary and the Paris Olympic Games last year.
She lost to Yavi and world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech in Budapest and to Yavi and 2021 Olympics champion Peruth Chemutai in Paris.
"I was running as a junior and I gained confidence and started believing in myself," said Cherotich.
Paris 2024 Olympics - Athletics - Men's 800m Victory Ceremony - Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France - August 10, 2024. Gold medallist Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya celebrates on the podium.
Wanyonyi, the world silver medallist, bounced back from a defeat in Rabat in May by Tshepiso Masalela to win the tactical race at 1:42.78, edging out Mohamed Attaoui from Spain and Djamel Sedjati of Algeria in a season-best 1:42.90 and 1:43.96 respectively.
"I was a little bit tired having travelled a long way from Kenya, but I am happy with my performance against a good field, " said Wanyonyi, 20, who shifts his focus to Stockholm Diamond on Sunday and thereafter Monaco on July 11.