Ethiopia’s 20-year-old Diribe Welteji continued to impress in the women’s 1500m, following up her win in Nairobi earlier this month with a 3:59.19 triumph. Her second-quickest ever time behind her national U20 record run last year, she led the next six finishers to PBs and was followed by her compatriots Ayal Dagnachew – her fellow 20-year-old who won world U20 800m gold last year and improved her 1500m PB by almost nine seconds to 3:59.87 – and Netsanet Desta with 4:00.84.
Lamecha Girma surged to 12th on the world 3000m steeplechase all-time list with a world-leading Ethiopian record of 7:58.68. Girma joined Bol in making a major statement in a year when the World Athletics Championships Oregon22 is the main aim.
After finishing second on his season opener at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Doha, there looked to be no question as to his success this time as he broke away with his compatriot Hailemariyam Amare and went on to dominate the race. They followed the pacemakers through 1000m in 2:42.37 and Girma passed 2000m in 5:19.22 before reaching the finish line ahead of the clock hitting eight minutes, becoming the first athlete since 2018 to break that time barrier and improve his own Ethiopian record. Amare was second in a PB of 8:07.70.