NAIROBI — World 3000m steeplechase champion Faith Cherotich and Commonwealth Games champion Ferdinand Omanyala will spearhead a rich Kenyan side that will be in contention at the second leg of this year's Diamond League in Xiamen, China on Saturday after (May 23).
Following on from the opener in Shanghai - a weekend ago - the second leg promises a thriller for athletics enthusiast as the race for the overall Diamond League Trophy begins to take shape in each category.
With no major athletics event planned for 2026, this prestigious one-day event will captivate the attention and resources of all involved, what with the lucrative prize money at offer as well as the prestige that comes with it.
Cherotich will be competing in the water-hurdles-and-barrier race where she will be up against familiar foes in the form of Ugandan Peruth Chemutai and Olympic champion Winfred Yavi, among others.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
Last weekend's opener in Shanghai offered a glimpse of the unfolding track rivalry between the trio, Chemutai winning the latest round of the contest.
With Bahrain's Yavi missing in action, it narrowed down to Chemutai v Cherotich, the 2020 Olympic champion staving off the challenge of her younger peer to cross the finish line in a world lead of 8:51.47.
It is the same scenario in the men's 100m where Omanyala will be looking to extend his newfound hot streak in which he has clocked a sub-10 in his last four races.
Having struggled hirtherto, Africa's fastest man seems to have rediscovered his mojo, clocking 9.98 to finish second in Shanghai.
The startlist remains largely unchanged, with South Africa's Gift Leotlela hoping to make it two out of two with another win in Xiamen.
Other names to watch out for include Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo, Olympic 200m silver medallist Kenneth Bednarek, Olympic 4x100m relay bronze medallist Akani Simbine of South Africa, and 2019 World 100m champion Christian Coleman, among others.
Meanwhile, the 2019 World 1500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot will look to redeem himself in the men's 5000m after a tough start to his Diamond League season in Shanghai.
The 2020 Olympic silver medallist finished fourth in the men's 3000m, timing a personal best (PB) of 7:27.24 in what was a closely contested race.
In Xiamen, he will be flying the national flag alongside African Games bronze medallist Cornelius Kemboi, American-based Edwin Kurgat, Boaz Kiprugut and Matthew Kipsang Kipchumba.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Similarly for World 1500m silver medallist Dorcus Ewoi, Xiamen is an opportunity to atone for Shanghai where she finished fifth in the same race, after clocking a season's best (SB) of 3:57.74.
The American-based runner will be conscious of what to expect in Xiamen considering the startlist remains unchanged.
Ethiopian Birke Haylom, who cruised to victory in a world lead of 3:55.56, will be back in action as will be Olympic silver medallist Jessica Hull of Australia.
