Olympic Silver Medalist Bednarek Holds Off Gold Medalist Tebogo; Italian Fabbri Upsets Crouser; Kipyegon Wins Fifth Diamond League Title

By David Woods for DyeStat

Photos By Matthew Quine for Diamond League

Letsile Tebogo’s post-Olympics victory train was derailed by Kung Fu Kenny.

Kenny Bednarek led Tebogo out of the turn and never relented in winning the 200-meters in 19.67 seconds Saturday in the Diamond League Final at Brussels.

Despite temperatures in the mid-50s. Bednarek was just one tenth of a second off his PB of 19.57. His 100-meter splits were 10.23/9.44.

He capped a season in which he ran five 200s in under 19.70. He signaled the 2025 World Championships could feature another three-way duel among the Paris Olympics medalists: Tebogo, Bednarek, Noah Lyles.

Just don’t call it a breakout year.

“This season people saw a glimpse of what I can do,” Bednarek said. “It’s not a breakout year. This is something I was supposed to be doing. Next year I will be even faster and more dangerous.”

Tebogo, the 21-year-old from Botswana, was second in 19.80 (10.30/9.50). He had been 5-0 in sprint races since winning the gold medal.

Courtney Lindsey was fourth and Fred Kerley fifth, both in 20.21.

Elsewhere, Ryan Crouser lost the shot put for a third straight Diamond League Final.

Italy’s Leonardo Fabbri had a distance of 75 feet, 4.75 inches (22.98m) in the first round for a meet and national record. Fabbri retained his rank as No. 5 on the all-time world list.

Crouser reached 74-9.25 (22.79m) in the fourth round. It was redemption for the 27-year-old Fabbri, who took his first Diamond League trophy after finishing fifth at the Olympics.

Crouser was beaten by Joe Kovacs in the 2023 and 2022 finals. Kovacs fouled his only attempt Saturday and withdrew because of an apparent elbow injury.

“The level in the shot put was never this high. It definitely pushes me to throw better,” Crouser said. “I know that when I have an off day, someone is gonna beat me. It keeps me throwing at a high level.”

Highlight of women’s events were meet records by two Kenyans, Faith Kipyegon in the 1,500 meters and Beatrice Chebet in the 5,000.

Kipyegon won a fifth Diamond League title and finished the year unbeaten in the 1,500, clocking 3:54.75 off a closing 400 of 59.6. The three-time Olympic champion erased the record of 3:55.23 set in 2003 by Turkey’s Sureyya Ayhan-Kop, who was twice banned for doping.

Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji, fourth at Paris, was second in 3:55.25. Olympic silver medalist Jessica Hull of Australia was third in 3:56.99.

Nine women ran under four minutes, and Elise Vanderelst set a Belgian record of 4:01.26 in 11th.

Chebet, who beat Kipyegon for Olympic gold in the 5,000, ran the eighth-fastest time in history in the 5,000, 14:09.82. Chebet has three of the top eight all-time performances in the event.

Ethiopia’s Medina Eisa, 19, was second and broke her own under-20 world record with a time of 14:21.89. Karissa Schweizer was eighth in a season best of 14:36.88.

McLaughlin-Levrone Completes 200/400 Double

In other women’s highlights:

>> In an invitational 200 meters, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone won in 22.40 after winning a 400 in 49.11 on Friday. She was ineligible for the Diamond League final because she had not run on the circuit. She was not as fast as Paris bronze medalist Brittany Brown, who won the final in 22.20.

“I definitely felt a little bit better than yesterday, but of course I hoped for a faster time,” said McLauglin-Levrone, who won two Paris golds and set a world record in the 400 hurdles. “It is what it is. I am happy that I can walk away healthy and look back on a great season.”

In the absence of McLaughlin-Levrone, the Netherlands’ Femke Bol won a fourth straight title in the 400 hurdles, clocking 52.45. Paris silver medalist Anna Cockrell was second in 53.71.

“I’m really happy that Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was here to run, even though it was in some side events,” Bol said. “I would have preferred running against her on the 400-meter hurdles because she’s such an amazing athlete and I can learn so much from her. Maybe the races in Brussels convinced her now to run more Diamond Leagues next season.”

McLaughlin-Levrone has committed in 2025 to a rival circuit, Grand Slam Track.

>> Jasmine Camacho-Quinn won her first Diamond League title with a time of 12.38 in the 100 hurdles. The 28-year-old Puerto Rican won comfortably over the Netherlands’ Nadine Fisherman, second in 12.54. Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent was third in 12.55.

“I got bronze in Paris, but I wasn't satisfied with that,” Camacho-Quinn said. “I almost false-started there, and that when I realized that, I held back a little bit and then the gun went off. Something that minor cost me the gold medal.”

>> Kenya’s 20-year-old Faith Cherotich beat the past two Olympic champions to win the steeplechase in 9:02.36. Bahrain’s Winfred Yavi was second in 9:02.87 and Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai third in 9:07.70. It was a reprise of the Paris podium, albeit in different order. After a slow second kilometer, wavelights were turned off from world-record pace. Yavi, the Paris gold medalist, narrowly missed the world record with a time of 8:44.39 at Rome on Aug. 30.

>> Olympic champion Nina Kennedy of Australia came from behind to win the pole vault with a first-attempt clearance of 16 feet (4.88m). Sandi Morris finished second, leading through 15-9 (4.80m) after a third attempt make at 15-5 (4.70m).

“Nothing is going to make up completely for the missed Olympics, but I am really proud of how far I have come since what happened at the Olympic Trials,” the 32-year-old Morris said. “I am getting healthier and stronger, and I am really pleased with 4.80 tonight.”

Wanyoni Surges to Take 800

In other men’s highlights:

>> Although a forecast attempt at the world record did not evolve, Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi rushed from fourth to first with a closing 100 of 13.2 and a time of 1:42.70 at 800 meters. It was a repeat of the Paris podium, with bronze medalist Djamel Sedjati of Algeria second in 1:42.86 and silver medalist Marco Arop of Canada third in 1:43.25.

>> Brazil’s Alison dos Santos took a second Diamond League trophy in the 400 hurdles, clocking 47.93. Absent were the Olympic gold and silver medalists, Rai Benjamin and Karsten Warholm. CJ Allen was fourth in 48.68.

>> Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi won the high jump at 7-8 (2.34m). Olympic silver medalist Shelby McEwen was last out of six, managing 6-11.5 (2.12m).

>> Grenada’s Anderson Peters threw the javelin 288-3 (87.87m) in the first round and made it stand up for a one-centimeter victory over India’s Neeraj Chopra. Peters had an 87.86m throw in the last round.

Contact David Woods at dwoods1411@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.