NAIROBI, Kenya, May 17 – Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) finalists shone at the season-opening Diamond League hosted in the Chinese City of Shanghai on Saturday.
Track queen Faith Kipyegon launched her 2026 season on a high after clocking a World Lead of 14:24.14 in the women’s 5000m to win the race ahead of Ethiopians Lakina Amebaw, who times a Personal Best of 14:24.21, and Senayet Getachew, who also recorded a Personal Best time of 14:24.71.
The 2025 SOYA Sportswoman of the Year, second placed, downplayed going for a World Record this season.
In the 3000m Steeplechase race, World Champion Faith Cherotich managed to settle for second place.
Cherotich, who was named third in the 2025 SOYA Sportswoman of the Year Award, clocked a Season’s Best of 8:51.48 after being beaten by Tokyo 2020 Olympic Champion Ugandan Peruth Chemutai, who won in 8:51.47.
The show stopper of the race saw the 2021 SOYA Sportsman of the year Ferdinand Omanyala clock a fourth successive sub-10 after finishing second in 9.98 Secs behind South African Gift Leotela, who won in 9.97 seconds, while American Kenneth Bednarek was third in 9.98 Secs with microseconds separating him and the Kenyan.
Omanyala defeated big names that included South African Akani Simbine, who finished sixth (10.05 Secs), Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who came seventh (10.12 Secs), American Tryvon Bromel, who settled fourth (10.01 Secs), and 2019 World Champion American Christian Coleman.
