Kenyan Olympic bronze medallist Faith Cherotich kicked off her 2025 Diamond League title defence in sensational style, producing a world-leading time of 9:05.08 to win the women’s 3000m steeplechase at the Wanda Diamond League on Friday.
In a dramatic final-lap twist, the 20-year-old executed a perfectly timed kick to outpace Olympic and world champion Winfred Mutile Yavi, snatching victory in the Qatar capital in one of the night’s most exciting finishes.
The race began at a moderate tempo, with the field—featuring steeplechase heavyweights like Yavi, former Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai, and Ethiopia’s Sembo Almayew—tucking in behind the pacemakers.
Early on, Daisy Jepkemei (a Kenyan-born Bahraini) and Almayew exchanged the lead, while Cherotich stayed close, conserving energy.
At the 2600m mark, the showdown began as Yavi and Cherotich pulled clear from the pack. Yavi looked poised for another win, but Cherotich had other plans.
With 200 meters to go, she unleashed a powerful surge, clearing the final water jump cleanly before blazing down the home stretch, leaving Yavi trailing just behind in a thrilling sprint to the line. The win marked Cherotich’s first-ever victory over Yavi in a Diamond League race.
“I just stayed patient and trusted my kick. I knew if I could stay with her to the last lap, I had a chance,” Cherotich said after the race.
The women’s steeplechase returned to the Doha Diamond League after being left out in 2024, and the packed crowd at Qatar Sports Club Stadium—buoyed by loud Kenyan and Ethiopian support—witnessed a showdown worthy of the wait.
The win was Cherotich’s third in 11 meetings against Yavi, flipping the script after Yavi had dominated recent head-to-heads. The Kenyan also beat Yavi to win the 2024 Diamond League Trophy in Brussels and now looks firmly on track to defend her crown this season.
Cherotich, the 2023 World Athletics Rising Star and former World U20 Champion, had previously clocked a personal best of 8:55.15 to finish third behind Yavi and Chemutai at the Paris Olympics.
With Doha marking just the first stop on the Diamond League calendar, Cherotich has sent an early message—she’s not just defending her title, she’s raising the bar.
