Cherotich hungry for more sucess after Diamond League victory

Olympic 3,000m steeplechase champion Faith Cherotich is hungry for more glory next season after emerging victorious during the final Diamond League in Brussels on Saturday.

The young water and barrier sensation stunned a loaded field, outpacing Olympic champion Winfred Yavi of Bahrain and Uganda's Peruth Chemutai with a stunning performance as she crossed the line in 9:02.36. 

Yavi followed closely in 9:02.87 while Chemutai clocked 9:07.60 to settle for third.

After being outpaced by Yavi and Chemutai in Paris and Rome, Cherotich executed a flawless race plan this time. 

“I knew it was a strong field, so I focused on running my race. I gave it my all and I thank God I was able to win,” she said.

In Rome, Yavi won the race in a world-leading time of 8:44.39 while Chemutai (8:48.03) and Cherotich (8:57.65) trailed her to the podium. 

At the Olympics, Yavi had also claimed the crown in an Olympic record time of 8:52.76, with Chemutai (8:53.34) and Cherotich (8:55.15) rounding out the podium.

Securing her first-ever Diamond League title left Cherotich ecstatic.  “This was my dream—to win a Diamond League final. I’m so happy to achieve it finally,” she beamed. 

She credited her smooth transition into the senior ranks as the key to her stellar season.

"I am thankful that the season has been good for me and I have been able to transition to the seniors well," she noted. She thanked her coach, family and fans for their support.

"I thank my coach, my parents and everyone who has been watching and supporting me."

Cherotich said she is hoping for better performances in the 2025 season. "After my win, I am optimistic of better results next year," she noted.

Elsewhere, Olympic 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi is already looking forward to another shot at the Diamond League title next year. 

“The Diamond League is very competitive and today wasn’t the warmest, but the race went well,” Wanyonyi said.

"The last metres were very hard; they always are. But I worked hard for it and I'm happy that I made it. I hope to win another Diamond League trophy next year," Wanyonyi said.

Wanyonyi clocked 1:42.70 to clinch the trophy, leading Algeria's Djamel Sedjati (1:42.86) and Canada's Marco Arop (1:43.25) to the podium.

Three-time Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon wrapped up her Diamond League season with a commanding win in Brussels, clocking 3:54.75 ahead of Ethiopia's Diribe Welteji (3:55.25) and Australia’s Jessica Hull (3:56.99).

While many expected her to chase another world record, Kipyegon had a different focus. “The world record wasn’t on my mind today,” she revealed. 

“I wanted to finish my Diamond League season on a high and I did just that. It was a good race, though not an easy one.”

Kipyegon, who overcame a chilly start, is now setting her sights on closing the season in style in New York.

"It was a bit cold to run 61 seconds in the first lap and 62 seconds for the next lap. I tried to be myself and focus on the finish line."

"Hopefully, I will finish my season in New York in a good way. It will be my last race of the season. I am still looking forward to racing. I started my season very late because of a small problem and I still feel strong," she noted.

Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet capped off her brilliant season with a Diamond League triumph in the 5,000m, setting a new meet record of 14:09.82.  She led Ethiopia’s Medina Eisa (14:21.89) and Fotyen Tesfay (14:28.53) to the podium.

Reflecting on her year, Chebet said, “It’s been an amazing year—winning double gold in Paris and now the Diamond League trophy. I’ll celebrate this with my family.”

Despite the weight of expectations, Chebet remains optimistic about future success. “It’s tough to improve year after year, but with hard work, belief, and focus, I’ll aim to replicate this season’s performance,” she said.