Stars to watch in 2021 Diamond League series
Following the return of all 32 disciplines in the Wanda Diamond League series, People Sport looks at some of the athletes hoping to make their mark in 2021.
Hellen Obiri
It was a remarkable comeback for the world 5,000m champion when the first leg of the Monaco Diamond League kicked off in August last year after she won in a world-leading and meeting time, clocking 14:22.12. Obiri left Ethiopian 10,000 world gold medallist Letesenbet Gidey nipping at her heels.
She also won the women’s 3,000m in a world-leading time of 8:22.54 during the last leg of the Doha Diamond League.
Faith Kipyegon
Kipyegon almost broke the women’s 1,000m world record clocking a very impressive 2:29.15 for the win at the Monaco Diamond League last year. She missed Svetlana Masterkova’s world record by only 0.17 seconds.
Kipyegon had to settle for another near miss at the Brussels Diamond League as she attempted to beat the world 1,000m record of 2:28.98 set on this track in 1996 by Russia’s double Olympic champion Svetlana Masterkova.
Beatrice Chepkoech
Chepkoech opened her outdoor season in Monaco, clocking 14:55.01 for 5,000m.
She also smashed the world record in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase with a time of eight minutes 44.32 seconds at the Monaco Diamond League meeting.
Chepkoech also set a world lead and meeting record of 8:55.58 in the women’s 3000m steeplechase at the 2019 Prefontaine Classic held in Stanford.
Timothy Cheruiyot
World 1,500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot made it two wins in a row as he stormed to victory at the second leg of the Diamond League series held in Stockholm, Sweden.
Cheruiyot picked from where he left at Monaco as he led from gun to tape to clock 3:30.25 ahead the in-form Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway who came home second in 3:30.74.
In the Stockholm meet Cheruiyot also beat off competition by Ingebrigtsen to finish in 3:28.45.
Leonard Bett
Bett grabbed silver after clocking 8:08.78 after he finished behind Soufianne El Bakkali who grabbed gold after finishing on 8:08.04 in Monaco.
Ferguson Rotich
Rotich clocked 1:44.16 to win the men’s 800m at the 2020 Doha Diamond League meeting.
He also addded did well his victory in Stockholm, 2nd place in Rome, and 5th place in Doha.
Nicholas Kimeli
Kimeli finished second to Cheptegei over 5,000m in Monaco in a PB of 12:51.78 as the Ugandan star won in a world record of 12:35.36.
Joshua Cheptegei
Cheptegei smashed Kenenisa Bekele’s long-standing record in 5,000m finishing at 12:35.36 in the Monaco Diamond League. Bekele’s record has been standing for 16 years, since 2004.
Jacob Kiplimo
Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo out-kicked Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway in 7:26.64 and 7:27.05 to go No.8 and No.9 on the world all-time rankings.
