Double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet is bracing for another blockbuster 5,000m showdown when she takes on Ethiopian world record holder Gudaf Tsegay and Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Nadia Battocletti tomorrow at the Rome Diamond League.
Chebet has already drawn first blood in this high-stakes rivalry, having outkicked both stars in two previous Diamond League battles this season.
During the Diamond League circuit opener in Xiamen, Chebet stormed to a 14:27.12 finish to outsprint Tesegay, who clocked 14:28.18 to place second.
Birke Haylom clocked 14:28.80 for third place. Chebet followed that up with a sensational performance in Rabat on May 25, where she obliterated the African 3,000m record in 8:11.56—catapulting her to second on the all-time list behind China’s Junxia Wang (8:06.11) set in 1993.
Battocletti settled for second in 8:26.27, ahead of Ireland’s Sarah Healy (8:27.02). After her Rabat heroics, Chebet declared that the long-standing women's 3,000m mark was within reach.
"I am so happy with the race. I was coming to Rabat to lower my personal best. My target was to run sub 8:20," Chebet said post-race.
"I see I can do more and run well, even the world record is possible. It's all about believing in yourself and going for it."
Now, the Rome leg is shaping up to be the most intense contest yet, with Tsegay, who owns the 5,000m world record at 14:00.21 from the 2023 Prefontaine Classic, keen to reassert her dominance.
Chebet sits third on the all-time list with 14:05.92 from the 2023 Pre Classic, where she trailed Tsegay. However, since that run, Chebet has turned the tables on the Ethiopian.
She stunned the world in May at the same meet by smashing the 10,000m world record in 28:54.14, becoming the first woman to dip under the 29-minute barrier.
Tsegay followed in 29:05.92. Then came the Paris Olympics, where Chebet struck gold in the 5,000m (14:28.56) as Tsegay faded to ninth (14:45.21).
In the 10,000m final, Chebet dug deep to clinch her second Olympic title in Paris, crossing the line in 30:43.25, narrowly edging Battocletti (30:43.35) in a thrilling sprint finish.
Meanwhile, in the men’s 1,500m, in-form Reynold Cheruiyot leads a strong Kenyan trio that includes Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Timothy Cheruiyot and 2023 African champion Brian Komen.
Reynold has been in sizzling form since the start of the 2025 season. He won the 5,000m in Doha (13:16.40) before finishing runner-up in Rabat over 1,500m with a strong 3:31.78.
In the men’s 100m, Africa’s fastest man, Ferdinand Omanyala, will square off in a high-octane sprint clash against Americans Fred Kerley, the Olympic bronze medallist, and Courtney Lindsey.
Omanyala has already bested Kerley in their previous meeting in Rabat after clocking 10.05 to Kerley’s 10.07.
However, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champion is still chasing his first sub-10 performance this season.
His most recent outing was at the Kip Keino Classic last Saturday, where he finished third in 10.07 behind Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy (9.98) and South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza (10.03). The women's 1,500m will see Olympian Susan Ejore team up with Purity Chepkirui.
