Cheruiyot sparkles at Rome meeting

Timothy Cheruiyot (Kenya) was an outstanding winner of the 1500m at the Golden Gala meeting in Rome, the fourth Diamond League Grand Prix of the summer season.

The Kenyan took off with 300 metres to go, claiming his fourth straight Diamond League win of the season timed at a world lead 3 mins 31.22 secs. Charlie Grice Da’vall won out in the battle of the Brits to finish fifth in 3:35.72 while Scottish record holder Chris O’Hare placed 9th in a season’s best 3:36.97.

Five days after Ronnie Baker beat Christian Coleman in Eugene, the US sprinters lined up for a 100m rematch but it was Baker who cooked up yet another win in a world lead 9.93 seconds with Coleman fading to 4th (10.06) 15 metres out from the finish line. European record holder Jimmy Vicaut (France) claimed second place in 10.02, with Filippo Tortu (Italy) in third, 10.04.

Ivory Coast’s sprint star Marie Josée Ta Lou won the 200m. Ta Lou stopped the clock at 22.49, well clear of Ivet Lavlova-Collio (Bulgaria), 22.64.

Commonwealth Games 800m champion Wyclife Kinyamal (Kenya) clocked 1:44.65 to win the two-lap race but it was a poor night for Commonwealth silver medallist Kyle Langford (GB) placing 11th at 1:48.92.

Matthew Hudson-Smith (GB) disqualified in the Commonwealth Games finished 7th in the 400m (45.52).

A world lead came from Abderrahman Samba (Qatar) in the 400m hurdles in a meeting record, national record and PB of 47.48 secs. Hyvin Kiyeng (Kenya) ran to a world lead in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase clocking 9 mins 04.96 secs – also a meeting record.

In the field Commonwealth long jump champion Luvo Manyonga (South Africa) leapt out to a world lead 8.58m.

Timothy Cheruiyot.