Diamond League opens in style in Xiamen, China, with the Norwegian setting new figures in little-run event as Faith Kipyegon narrowly misses the world 1000m record
Karsten Warholm improved his own world 300m hurdles best at the opening Wanda Diamond League of 2025 in Xiamen, China, on Saturday (April 21).
The Norwegian clocked 33.05 to beat his previous best of 33.26 set in Oslo in 2021. The event has not been contested regularly over the years, but has recently become an official event in the eyes of World Athletics and will soon have official “world record” status.
Previous holders of the world best include Brits Chris Rawlinson and David Hemery, whereas Femke Bol holds the current women’s best mark for the distance.
Brazil’s Matheus Lima was runner-up to Warholm in China in 33.98 with Japan’s Ken Toyoda third in 34.22.
“I was a little bit surprised by how easy my legs were feeling off the last bend,” said Warholm. “Of course you feel it a little bit in the end, but I managed to really push in the last 45 metres. This shows that the speed is there and the speed over the hurdles is there.”
Days after announcing she would attack the sub-four-minute barrier for the mile in Paris in June, Faith Kipyegon fell slightly short of Svetlana Masterkova’s long-standing world 1000m record of 2:28.98.
The Kenyan clocked 2:29.21 – the third-fastest time in history behind her PB (2:29.15) and the world record (2:28.98). Australia’s Abby Caldwell was runner-up in an Oceanian record of 2:32.94.
“It was a very good start to my season,” said Kipyegon. “I’m happy to start my season, and I hope to stay healthy this way and for the next races.”
Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion Beatrice Chebet set a meeting record of 14:27.12 to win the 5000m by more than a second from Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay.
There was a surprise in the 3000m steeplechase as world and Olympic champion Soufiane El Bakkali was beaten by young Ethiopian Samuel Firewu in 8:05.61 to El Bakkali’s 8:06.66.
In the women’s shot, European indoor champion Jessica Schilder uncorked her best ever outdoor throw to win with a meeting record of 20.47m as Chase Jackson was second with 20.31m and home favourite Gong Lijiao third with 19.62m.
Mondo Duplantis won the triple jump with 5.92m but there were no world records this time from the Swedish superstar. Yaroslava Mahuchikh won the high jump with 1.97m ahead of Australia’s Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers, the…
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