The 2025 Diamond League season kicked off in Xiamen, China, with Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet emerging victorious in her distance race against world record holder Gudaf Tesgay. Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis also took the spotlight in the pole vault, though he fell short of his world record, securing the win with a 5.92-meter jump. Shericka Jackson made a strong return to the track, finishing second in the women’s 200m, while Akani Simbine led the men’s 100m with a season-best 9.99 seconds.
Duplantis, who set a world record in Xiamen last year, couldn’t replicate his feat this time. Despite three attempts at 6.01 meters, he settled for victory at 5.92 meters. Meanwhile, Chebet showed remarkable form, outpacing Tesgay and the Ethiopian contingent in the women’s 5,000m, winning in 14:27.12. She expressed her satisfaction with her performance, emphasizing her continued preparation for the world championships in September.
Simbine, continuing his stellar season, won the men’s 100m in 9.99 seconds, ahead of Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala and Britain’s Jeremiah Azu. In the women’s 200m, Anavia Battle of the United States claimed victory with a new meet record of 22.41 seconds, beating Jackson, who was returning from injury and finishing second in 22.79 seconds.
The men’s 400m saw Botswana’s Bayapo Ndori triumph with a 44.25-second performance, while American Cordell Tinch won the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.06 seconds, as Olympic champion Grant Holloway failed to finish in the top positions.
The evening saw Karsten Warholm break his own world record in the 300m hurdles, clocking a time of 33.05 seconds. Danielle Williams of Jamaica won the women’s 100m hurdles, while Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh easily claimed victory in the women’s high jump with a jump of 1.97m.
In the field events, Jessica Schilder won the women’s shot put with a 20.47-meter throw, and American Valarie Allman took the discus title with a throw of 68.95 meters. In the men’s long jump, China’s Zhang Mingkun leapt to victory with a jump of 8.18 meters.
Source: Swifteradio.com
