Timothy Cheruiyot in a previous race/ TEDDY MULEI The 2020 Olympic 1,500m champion Timothy Cheruiyot is bullish about extending his glittering Diamond League legacy as he targets a record-extending sixth finals trophy when the circuit culminates in Zurich on August 27–28.
The 29-year-old heads into the season finale top of the leaderboard with 21 points, having already secured qualification for the Swiss showdown.
Hot on his heels are France’s Azeddine Habz (19 points) and Kenya’s rising star, 2022 World U-20 champion Reynold Cheruiyot, also on 19.
Olympic bronze medallist Yared Nuguse of the USA (15) and Portugal’s Isaac Nader (14) round off the top five.
"Secured my place in another Diamond League final in my career," Cheruiyot shared.
Cheruiyot, 29, claimed his first finals trophy in 2016 in Brussels, clocking 3:31.34 ahead of Morocco's Abdelaati Iguider (3:31.40) and Asbel Kiprop (3:31.87).
He repeated that same form in Zurich 2017, winning in (3:33.93), Zurich 2018 (3:30.27) and Brussels 2019 (3:30.22).
During the 2020 final in Doha, Cheruiyot did not feature in the 1,500m final, opting for the shorter 800m.
In that race, he faded out to eighth place in the race won by Ferguson Rotich (1:44.16).
He, however, came back stronger during the 2021 final in Zurich. Cheruiyot returned to his preferred 1,500m, winning his fifth league final trophy in 3:31.37.
Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen (3:31.45) and Australia's Stewart McSweyn (3:32.14) completed the podium.
However, the past few years have tested his dominance. In Zurich 2022, he clocked 3:30.27 to finish behind Ingebrigtsen (3:29.02).
He failed to reach the 2024 final at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, and in 2024, he placed second again (3:30.93) behind Ingebrigtsen (3:30.37).
Cheruiyott has had mixed results over the 1,500m in the Diamond League circuit since kicking off his 2025 campaign.
He opened his season in Italy at the Rome Golden Gala, clocking 3:29.75 to place second behind Habz (3:29.72).
His most recent outing was in Silesia last weekend, where he clocked 3:33.35 to finish second behind Nuguse (3:33.19).
Norway's Narve Nordas clocked 3:33.41 for third place. For Cheruiyot, Zurich will be more than a trophy chase; it will also serve as a vital tune-up for the World Championships in Tokyo, which will be just two weeks away.
In Tokyo, he will anchor a formidable Kenyan trio alongside Cheruiyot and youngster Phanuel Koech.
In Zurich, Cheruiyot will be joined by Reynold, who has also booked his slot in the finals.
Reynolds' Diamond League campaign has seen him win a 5,000m race in Doha (13:16.40), place second in 1,500m in Rabat (3:31.78), sixth in Rome (3:30.94) and most recently fourth in Silesia (3:33.42).
