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≡ DIAMOND LEAGUE XIAMEN ≡
The second Diamond League meet in China was in Xiamen, about 525 miles south of the opener in Shaoxing, with strong results once again and eight more world-leading marks:
● Men/400 m: 43.92, Collen Kebinatshipi (BOT)
● Men/5,000 m: 12:57.32, Addisu Yihune (ETH)
● Men/400 m hurdles: 46.72, Alison dos Santos (BRA)
● Men/Long Jump: 8.46 m (27-9 1/4), Miltiadis Tentoglou (GRE)
● Women/3,000 m Steeple: 8:51.06, Peruth Chemutai (UGA)
● Women/100 m hurdles: 12.14, Masai Russell (USA) ~ American Record
● Women/High Jump: 1.99 m (6-6 1/4), Yuliya Levchenko (UKR)
● Women/Javelin: 71.74 m (235-4), Ziyi Yan (CHN)
Perhaps the most remarkable was Paris Olympic champ Russell, who is on fire, having won the women’s hurdles in Shaoxing in 12.25 and rocketing away from the field in Xiamen to win in 12.14 (wind: +0.5 m/s), the no. 2 performance of all-time, behind only Tobi Amusan (NGR) and her 2022 world record of 12.12.
Russell was already the no. 2 performer all-time from her 12.17 at the Grand Slam Track meet in Miramar, Florida on 2 May 2025. But she crushed the field here, with Amusan second in 12.28 and World Indoor 60 m hurdles champ Devynne Charlton (BAH) in 12.37. American Tonea Marshall was ninth in 13.13.
Botswana’s World Champion Kebinatshipi overtook Zambia’s Paris bronze medalist Muzala Samukonga in the final 50 m to win in 43.92 to 44.04 for Samukonga. Americans Chris Bailey was fourth n 44.70 and Vernon Norwood in eighth in 45.51. Ethiopia’s Paris Olympian Yihune, just 23, won a final-lap struggle with German Mohamed Abdilaahi (12:57.90) and Ethiopian Biniam Mehary (12:58.51) with a surge over the final 200 m.
Dos Santos, the 2022 World Champion in the 400 m hurdles, led from the start against world-record holder Karsten Warholm (NOR) and won in 46.72, the equal-23rd performance of all time. Americans Caleb Dean (47.75) and Trevor Bassitt (47.90) finished 3-4 and CJ Allen was seventh (49.18).
Two-time Olympic champ Tentoglou blew open the long jump with his 8.37 m (27-5 1/2) opener, then extended to 8.46 m (27-9 1/4) in round three. Jamaica’s Tajay Gayle, the 2019 World Champion, got out to 8.32 m (27-3 3/4) to grab second in the fifth round.
The other women’s world leaders include Tokyo Olympic winner Chemutai, who won in Shaoxing in 8:51.47 and improved to 8:51.06 to win a duel with Paris Olympic champ Winfred Yavi (BRN: 8:51.54) and World Champion Faith Cherotich (KEN: 8:52.53). American Lexy Halladay-Lowry was seventh in 9:14.96.
Levchenko was the only one to clear 1.99 m, outlasting fellow Ukrainian Paris bronze winner Iryna Gerashchenko, who cleared 1.97 m (6-5 1/2). American Charity Hufnagel was sixth at 1.91 m (6-3 1/4). In the javelin, Yan, just 18, was the 2024 World Junior Champion, got a lifetime best and a World Junior Record with a 235-4 bomb on her first throw!
Elsewhere, the U.S. got wins from Jamal Britt in the 110 m hurdles, running 13.07 (+0.5) to win from Japan’s Rachid Muratake (13.13); World Champion Cordell Tinch of the U.S. was fifth in 13.28. The other American win was from Olympic and World Champion discus star Valarie Sion, who won at 68.45 m (224-7) on her second throw. Former World Champion Feng Bin (CHN) was second at 65.03 m (213-4) and American Erika Beistle was fourth at 64.07 m (210-2).
Kenyan star Ferdinand Omanyala won the men’s 100 m in 9.94 (+0.2) with Americans Trayvon Bromell (10.03) and Kenny Bednarek (10.03) third and fourth, and Christian Coleman (10.08) in seventh. In the men’s shot, Jamaica’s Rajindra Campbell got a lifetime best in the fifth round and won at 22.34 m (73-3 1/2), beating American Jordan Geist (21.52 m/70-7 1/4), Olympic champ Ryan Crouser (21.41 m/70-3) and Roger Steen (21.25 m/69-8 3/4) in places 2-3-4.
Jamaica’s two-time women’s World 200 m champ Shericka Jackson followed her up Shaoxing win with a 21.87 triumph (+0.2) in Xiamen, now no. 2 in the world for 2026. Americans went 3-4-5-6 with Anavia Battle (22.29), Sha’Carri Richardson (22.29), Jenna Prandini (22.46) and McKenzie Long (22.63). Australia’s Abbey Caldwell won the women’s 1,500 m in 3:57.26 over Birke Haylom (ETH: 3:57.79) with American Emily Mackay third in 3:58.13.
Next up will be Rabat (MAR) on 31 May.
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