Wycliffe Kinyamal storms to victory at the Rome IAAF Diamond League on May 31, 2018. PHOTO/IAAF
ROME, Italy, Jun 1- Fast rising Commonwealth Games champion Wycliffe Kinyamal continued to show that he is no one hit wonder when he notched his second IAAF Diamond League victory after cruising to top spot in Rome in 1:44.65 on Thursday.
The men’s 800m race was a compelling one as Kenya’s Jonathan Kitilit, a clear leader at 500m as the pacemaker Bram Som moved over after taking the field through 400m in 51.24, pushed on strongly with a strung-out field appearing to struggle in his wake.
However, compatriot Kinyamal was a keen and powerful hunter, and as the race moved into the final ten metres the 20-year-old had his prey, moving past to win in 1:44.65, with Kitilit having to settle for third in 144.78 as a third Kenyan, Ferguson Rotich, came through in 1:44.74.
It was almost an exact replica of the finish that had played out earlier this month in the Shanghai Diamond League, when Kinyamal had come through in the final 20m to win by 0.04sec before declaring memorably;
“We were fighting for the last 100 metres, but I was stronger and I knew it. I come from the same village as Rudisha, he was always my example. Now I take over.”
Kinyamal is certainly ticking all the boxes right now.
-Kiyeng takes dramatic steeplechase triumph
Hyvin Kiyeng storms to victory at the Rome IAAF Diamond League on May 31, 2018. PHOTO/IAAF
The next race on the track – the women’s 3000m steeplechase – was equally stirring as world champion Emma Coburn, who had led narrowly at the bell, stumbled and fell as she took the final water jump flanked by Kenyan rivals Celliphine Chespol and 2015 world champion Hyvin Kiyeng.
Kiyeng proceeded to win in a meeting record and 2018 fastest time of 9:04.96, with the 19-year-old prodigy Chespol, who had had to chart a quick route around her fallen opponent, second in a season’s best of 9:05.14.
The gutsy American picked herself back up and drove on, but was passed by another Kenyan, Norah Jeruto, who was third in 9:07.17 with a shaken Coburn finishing fourth in 9:08.13 – both the latter times also being season’s bests.
-Cheruiyot’s 1500m momentum continues
Timothy Cheruiyot smiles after victory at the Rome IAAF Diamond League on May 31, 2018. PHOTO/IAAF
The men’s 1500m saw Kenya’s world silver medallist Timothy Cheruiyot, winner of the Shanghai Diamond League 1500m and the Bowerman Mile at the Eugene Diamond League, maintain bragging rights as he won in 3:31.22, the fastest of the season so far.
The 22-year-old Cheruiyot finished well clear of his training partner Elijah Manangoi, who took gold to his silver in London last summer and finished here in a season’s best of 3:33.79.
Ethiopia’s world indoor champion Samuel Tefara took third place in 3:34.84.
Kenya’s world and Olympic 3000m steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto, surprisingly beaten by compatriot Benjamin Kigen at the Eugene Diamond League last Saturday, made sure it didn’t happen again in what was a non-Diamond League race, although it was a close run thing.
Kipruto pulled clear on the final lap to win in 8min 04.40sec, the fastest run so far this year, but Kigen maintained his rising reputation as he took second place in 8:10.01 despite a stumble at the last hurdle after which he looked briefly behind him before resuming his forward momentum.
Ethiopia’s Chala Beyo was third in a personal best of 8:11.22.
