Diamond League: Rotich races to victory in London

Diamond League - London Anniversary Games - London Stadium, London, Britain - July 20, 2019, Kenya's Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich celebrates winning the men's 800m. [Reuters]

Kenya’s Ferguson Rotich easily won the men 800m in 1:43.14 with the world leader Nigel Amos of Botswana pulling out of the race with injury in the first half at the London Diamond League meeting yesterday.

Commonwealth Games champion over the distance Wycliffe Kinyamal made it a 1-2 finish for Kenya as he raced to the line in second place in 1:43.48 ahead of Marcin Lewandoski of Poland (1:43.74).

Cornelius Tuwei also of Kenya was fourth in 1:43.90, but it was another poor outing for United States-based Kenyan Emmanuel Korir.

Korir, who had a near-flawless season in 2018 finished eighth when many expected he would have it easy when Amos, who has beaten him twice this season, pulled out.

1,500m Africa champion Winny Chebet was forced to settle for second place over the distance with Great Britain’s Laura Muir winning the race in 3:58.25.

Chebet shook off the challenge of Canada’s Gabriela Stafford and Uganda’s Winnie Nanyondo to cross the line in a season-best time of 3:59.93.

Olympic champion Faith Chepngetich, who was expected to compete in London, did not line-up for the race.

In the 5,000m promotional event, Kenya’s Nicholas Kimeli finished third in a race won by Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet in 13:01.86.

Kimeli clocked a season-best time of 13:05.48 behind Norway’s Jakob Ingebrightsen (13:02.03) in second place.

Another Kenyan Rhonex Kipruto finished in sixth place in 13:07.40.