- Beatrice Chebet and Faith Kipyegon are expected to open their 2025 track season in the Xiamen Diamond League on Saturday, April 26.
- Kipyegon will be aiming to lower the current 1000m world record of 2:98.98 that was set by Russian runner Svetlana Masterkova in 1996.
- Apart from Chebet and Kipyegon, the other stars that will compete in Xiamen are Letsile Tebogo, Mondo Duplantis, Grant Holloway, and Yaroslava Mahuchikh.
World record holders Beatrice Chebet and Faith Kipyegon are some of the big names that are set to participate in the 2025 Xiamen Diamond League in China.
Chebet has confirmed her participation in the first Diamond League event of the year that will be held on Saturday, April 26.
According to Chebet, she will use the Xiamen Diamond League to gauge her performance ahead of the 2025 World Athletics Champions that will take place in Tokyo, Japan in September.
“I will start my track season with the Diamond League in Xiamen with a focus on the World Championships,” she was quoted by The Star.
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The 25-year-old will be seeking to start her track season to replicate or even better the performances she posted last year.
Chebet, who trains in Kenya’s North Rift at the moment, had a remarkable 2024 season that saw her win numerous accolades.
Some of the titles she clinched include two Olympic Games gold medals in the 5000m and 10000m categories.
The 10000m Olympic Games gold medal was a special one for Chebet because it made her enter into record books as the first ever Kenyan to secure that title.
Besides shining at the Summer Games, the Londiani Secondary School product also managed to retain her World Athletics Cross Country Championships title and smash the 10000m world record.
Mouth-watering prize money in 5000m race
Although Chebet has not yet confirmed which specific discipline she will feature in Xiamen, she is likely to be among the 5000m entries.
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The organizers announced earlier this year that the 5000m discipline shall be one of the highest paying ones.
“According to the new prize money structure introduced for the 2025 season, each series meeting can nominate four “Diamond+ Disciplines” (two male and two female).
These disciplines will offer higher levels of prize money, with the maximum for individual athletes rising from USD 10,000 to USD 20,000. The Diamond+ Disciplines at Xiamen are 5000m women, high jump women, 110m hurdles men, pole vault men,” read part of the statement from the Xiamen Diamond League website.
Chebet’s compatriot hunts 1000m world record
Apart from Chebet, Kipyegon is another high profile athlete who is expected to light up this year’s Xiamen Diamond League.
The three-time Olympic Games champion will compete in the 1000m race where she will try her best to break the world record of 2:28.98 that was set in 1996 by Russia’s Svetlana Masterkova.
Kipyegon’s personal best over the distance which stands at 2:29.15 is both an African record and the second fastest time in history.
The Kaptagat based runner revealed a few days ago that here preparation for Xiamen Diamond League is going on smoothly.
Similar to Chebet, Kipyegon’s main focus is on the World Athletics Championships where she is likely to double.
Finally, the other stars that have been confirmed for the Xiamen Diamond League include Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, Norway’s Karsten Warholm, Ukrainian High Jump sensation Yaroslava Mahuchikh, and Swedish Pole Vaulter Mondo Duplantis.
Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who runs under the same management as Chebet, and American sprinter Grant Holloway will also be in contention.
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